Know better
by you-make-me-wander
Summary: Lydia is a single mom and has to move miles away to escape her abusive ex-husband. In a new city, her life changes completely when she meets Stiles, a single, funny, hardworking and very, very handsome, but also very tortured man. Stydia AU. No supernatural elements involved.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

She should have known better than to bake the chocolate muffins in the early morning, but she couldn't help it. She has been edgy ever since she woke up at 4:00 am, nervous with the anticipation. The feeling vanishes when she sees a flash of red darting into her kitchen, a sleepy smile on said face.

"I smell chocolate." The little girl's eyes widen, almost glowing. Getting closer to Lydia, she grabs at her mom's apron, demanding attention. "What you doing?"

Lydia can't help but smile. "Good morning sweetie." Her hand falls to the girl's hair and she bends down to kiss her forehead. "It's the first day in your new school. You want to make new friends, right?" The girl nods. "So we'll take the muffins and you can give them to your teacher and your new friends. Is that okay?"

The little girl cracks a smile, nodding happily. "Can I have one now?" She's on her tiptoes, stretching her arms up trying to reach the top of the island, but the surface is way too high for her to reach them.

Lydia chuckles. _Anything for my little girl_. "Only when you're all ready for school. We are already running late. So why don't you go and get dressed while I finish up here, okay? And then wash your hands." The girl starts running out of the kitchen and down the hall. "No running, sweetheart."

Lydia can't help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm. Her daughter is taking everything so much better than she is. Obviously it's because the girl is still very young and has never met her father so she doesn't remember her him, but Lydia does. She remembers everything. The way their relationship started after a one-night stand when they were in college. How she endured years of psychological, and sometimes physical, abuse. How he forced her to marry him, threatening to expose her family's financial issues. Raised on a well renowned family, she couldn't have it so she agreed, even though after a year they were already divorced; his idea. Not that Lydia didn't want that, it's what she wanted the most, but fear kept her in her place beside him then. It was after the divorce that she found out. She still vividly remembers the day she told him she was pregnant. It was the worst day of her life. After he snapped and screamed his lungs out, their house - where Lydia had stayed after the divorce - was completely shattered. She left that very night. She wouldn't want to admit it, but she considered abortion or giving her baby away, afraid he might do something to her. But Lydia just couldn't bring herself to do it, so she kept running. And now, four years later, she is in a new town, starting a new life. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

Lydia is startled by her phone buzzing as she finishes putting the muffins in a beautifully decorated box that she bought for the occasion and then takes the call.

"Hi mom."

"Hey sweetheart. How are we today?" Her tone is a little apprehensive, Lydia notices.

"Well, okay, I guess. Considering… I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"And our baby girl?" Lydia smiles at how endearing her mom's voice sounds.

"Oh, she's happy. We made chocolate muffins." At the mention, the red-haired girl comes running from the bathroom, hands still wet, a black band almost slipping from its place at her waist. "I'll put you on speaker," says Lydia, sitting the girl in one of the seats from her kitchen's island and drying her hands, then tying the black band in a ribbon on the girl's back.

"Hi, Nana." The girl screams and Natalie laughs on the other side of the line as her granddaughter greets her.

"Hey, little angel. Ready for your first day?"

The girl grabs one of the muffins and stuffs her mouth. "Mommy made muffins and I have a new dress."

"Oh you do? I bet you look pretty." All three of them smile.

"She does," says Lydia. "It's that blue dress I told you about the other day. I think it's only appropriate. One is never too young to make an impression, right?" Lydia grins even if her mom can't see her.

"Please take pictures. I wanna see." Natalie's words come out a little sad. She knew being away from her girls wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done. For their sake. "I will call you later and you can tell me all about your new friends, okay?"

The little girl just nods, focusing on drinking her milk. Lydia takes her mom off speaker. "I'll take pictures. Don't worry. We should be going. Don't wanna be late on her first day."

Natalie lingers for a moment, hesitant. She doesn't want to impose but she needs to know that they are okay. "Is it alright if I stop by this weekend and we can spend some time together? I miss you…"

"Mom, we saw you just last week before we came here."

"Well, last week I could meet you in ten minutes. Now it's more like four hours."

"All the more reason for you not to come, mom, but sure, why not? And don't worry, we'll be okay."

"I really hope you will."

xxxxxxxxxx

After she hung up on her mom and the girl was finished with her breakfast, Lydia did both their hairs. The girl's upper half was pushed back in a ponytail with a beautiful blue ribbon, as the lower half was loose, her strawberry blonde locks free. Her hair was long, reaching her waist just like Lydia's. The girl was a vision. Her satin dress has two shades of blue, that Lydia complemented with the black band she had tied before. Her shoes are also black, very simple. _She looks just like her_, Lydia thinks, smiling.

She takes a picture of her daughter that she sends to Natalie, and not ten minutes later they are both out the door. They make it to pre-school just in time. The little girl is impatient to get in, pulling Lydia by the hand as the woman tries to balance the box with the muffins on her other arm. Turning around a corner, Lydia doesn't notice the man that is coming in their direction so she bumps into him. Thank god for good reflexes, he caught the box before it found the ground. No damage.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" His voice is soft, but somewhat concerned. His hand grabs her arm to steady her as he returns the box to her hands. His touch is warm. "I didn't see where I was going…"

"It's fine. I'm okay. I didn't see either…" She mutters, looking up to flash him a reassuring smile, but as soon as they lock eyes she's lost in thought. His eyes are a light brown, almost amber, and they are deep. So deep that Lydia momentarily forgets that she still has her daughter with her and looks down at the girl, glad to know she has something else to look at because she's sure she's blushing.

Also flushed, he follows her gaze and gets down on his heels, directing his attention to the little girl. She has the most beautiful red hair and green eyes, just like the woman beside her, who he's assuming is her mother. And he can't place it, but somehow the little girl looks familiar.

"Hey honey, are you okay?"

The girl nods, extending her little hand to him. "Hello."

He takes her hand and shakes it. "Hello to you too. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Lydia is amazed with their brief interaction. Even though her daughter talks pretty much every time she can, she only does it when she is around familiar faces. She's very shy to anyone else, so this is a first. She watches as the girl shakes her head, smiling at him. Definitely a first.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." He smiles back, standing up. "Both of you." He rubs the back of his neck. "Hmm are you from around? I don't think I-"

He's interrupted by a child running to his side, a boy around the little girl's age. He's wearing a simple white shirt and blue jeans, and is brown haired, like the man. His jeans are not buttoned so he probably just came from the bathroom. "I'm ready. Can I go?"

The man turns to the child, buttoning the jeans and laughing. "Okay, what did I taught about manners?" He turns to Lydia and her daughter. "What do we do when we meet pretty girls?"

The little boy seems embarrassed but takes a step forward and reaches for the little girl's hand, planting a small kiss on her knuckles. Both their faces are red. "It's nice to meet you," the boy blurts out.

The girl just nods, looking up nervously at her mom. Lydia doesn't think she can handle so much cuteness. "It's okay sweetie," she says.

The girl turns to the boy again. "It's nice to meet you too," she says timidly.

"Making friends already, are we?" The voice comes from behind the man. A tall woman, probably in her thirties, approaches them. "Miss Martin?" She reaches for Lydia's hand and she shakes it.

"Yes. You must be Miss Hale. It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Please, call me Cora. And you…" she faces the little girl, smiling, "you must be my new apprentice."

The girl proceeds like she did with the man. "Hello." Curiosity gets the best of her. "Apprentice?"

The teacher laughs. "Yes. You're gonna learn so many things, you'll see…"

The girl almost can't contain her excitement. She really likes to learn, much like Lydia.

"Well, aren't you cute." The woman turns to Lydia. "I'm gonna take her inside now. Mr. Lahey, the Director, will only be able to see you in about forty minutes, though, as he's running late. He apologizes for the inconvenience."

"Oh, it's fine. And here." Lydia hands the box to Cora. "Just a little something for the class."

"It's muffins." The little girl almost screams, excited.

Cora smiles. "Thank you. I'll make sure they know they are from you. Are you ready?"

The girl squeezes her mom's hand and Lydia gets down and kisses her hair. "Go on. I'll pick you up later, okay?"

Her daughter barely nods and she's already beside her teacher, eager for her new adventures. Cora turns to face the man. "Mr. Stilinski, I think it's his time to come as well…" She nods to the boy at his side, and starts walking, girl in hand.

Caught off guard looking at the redhead, he mumbles, "Oh- Of course." He turns his attention to the kid. "Okay big boy. Off you go". They exchange what Lydia supposes is a private handshake and the boy runs to catch up with the teacher, leaving Lydia and the man standing awkwardly in the hallway. She's the one breaking the silence.

"Is he yours?" she motions in the direction to where the boy ran off to catch up with the girls.

"Who? Eric?" He rubs the back of his neck again, surprised that she's talking to him. "He's my nephew, and my godson. I usually drive him to and from school." He starts rambling. "How cute were they…" He stops when he sees that the woman has her hands on her mouth, looking shocked. "Everything okay?"

Lydia can't believe it. It's like it is some sort of sign. "Eric? That's his name?"

"Hm yeah, why?"

She smiles. "Her name is Ariel."

He smiles back at her, skeptical. "Really? Holy shit…" He covers his mouth immediately, realizing they are still inside the preschool. They both laugh and start heading out. "Ariel and Eric! That's… It's like it's meant to be."

"And that kiss-on-the-hand thing? So charming." She smirks at him. "Not very subtle, though."

He laughs. "Well, he has to learn how to win the ladies' affections, right?" Then he suddenly remembers. "Wait- Her dress. It looks like the one from 'The Little Mermaid', right?" She nods. "Wow, that's just… She looked adorable."

"She is," she says, more to herself than to him. She holds out her hand for him. "And I'm Lydia, by the way."

"Stiles," he says, reaching for her hand.

Both their breaths quicken when they touch, like an electric current is flowing from one to the other. Their contact sure lasts longer than it should, but none of them wants to break it. Mesmerized, they look into each other's eyes. Lydia hadn't paid attention before to how tall he is, or how handsome. He's probably around her age but looks younger. His hair is messy and there are moles on his face and neck. He's built, not much, and his muscles are just defined enough for her to lose her thoughts again as she studies them. She has to shake her head.

"Th- That's an odd name," she says, taking back her hand.

His mind was wandering too. "Hmm nickname, actually." They try to avert each other's gaze, both a little embarrassed, both not succeeding. "So I- I'm gonna go grab some coffee before work. There are some great coffee shops across the street…"

She notices he's scratching the back of his neck again. It has to be some habit he picked up when he's nervous. She curses herself that she's even considering it, but she can feel something pulling them together, and the words are out before she knows it. "Mind if I join you?"

**Author's note: Please review or leave me a message. Feedback is much appreciated :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lydia chooses a small coffee shop down the street. Stiles knows the place, a friend of his is the owner. He just hopes he's not there right now or it will be weird. The coffee shop is small, cozy, more rustic than the other ones, almost more private. It suits them. The way Lydia and Stiles touched was something he never experienced before but it felt right, familiar somehow. But that can't be. If they had met before, he sure wouldn't forget about that.

Feeling like she imposed on his own alone time, Lydia insisted on getting their drinks while he picked a table for them by the window, but Stiles nods to his friend - who _of course_ had to be working - letting him know that he'd be the one paying for the coffees, not her. The guy behind the bar nods in agreement, smiling. As the woman waits for their drinks, her back facing him, Stiles stares at her frame. She's probably the most beautiful woman he's ever met. Her long hair is not so much red, more like strawberry blonde, and those green eyes… Her skin looks like marble and she's much shorter than him, her head reaching about the height of his shoulders. She's sexy but her clothes hide her frame a little, with skinny jeans and a large long shirt hanging loose at her waist. And her lips, so full and rosy… Stiles blushes. And _of course_ that's the time she'd choose to come to the table. He quickly lowers his head and stares at his hands like they are the most interesting thing in the world.

"Here," she offers him one of the mugs. "Black coffee, two sugars, right?"

He nods. "Yes, thank you." He notices she's drinking the same thing and raises his eyebrow, doubtful. No one he knows likes their coffee just black.

"Just one sugar," she says smiling. "I like my coffee strong." They are staring at each other and it's disconcerting, but neither wants to look away. It's like they have to.

The guy from the bar brings them some toasts, hiding a smirk when Stiles gives him a glare because _how dare he interrupt their moment?_ When he leaves, Stiles turns to Lydia. "Did you order this?"

"Yes, I skipped breakfast. Guess I got distracted with the muffins this morning. You can have some, if you want."

"You baked those muffins _this morning_?" He tilts his head. "What time did you get up?"

"Around four." She says biting her lip but breaks out laughing as he stares at her, a skeptic look on his face. "I was a little nervous about today and I can't sleep when I'm nervous… It's her first day here."

"Oh. How old is she?"

"She just turned four last month. Eric?"

"He'll be five in a few weeks. She's beautiful." Lydia smiles, taking a sip of her drink. "It's obvious where she got the looks." Stiles didn't mean to say it like that, so openly, and now they are both blushing. He chuckles. "I mean, she's adorable."

Lydia blushed not because she was embarrassed, but because he complimented her. And, _go figure_, the way he said it, she almost believed him. And it's been a while since someone saw her that way. Years, actually. "Thank you. You two are not so bad yourselves," she says grinning.

Stiles gasps, almost spilling his drink and they both laugh. Sure, he has had a few girlfriends but he's not the _you're-so-hot-i-wanna-sleep-with-you_ type of guy, he's usually the friendzoned one, so he's not really used to hear such things. "Oh my god, don't say things like that when I'm drinking. I'll just make a fool of myself." He scratches the back of his neck and tries to hide a smile.

"Sorry," she mutters. "I think you're doing just fine, though."

Their cheeks are red again, but it doesn't matter. They feel comfortable. "So did you two move here? I don't think I've seen you around before…"

"Yeah, we've only been here a week. My office is close and we needed a change anyway, so we moved. An old friend of mine has been talking about Beacon Hills forever, so why not?"

"And what do you do? Your job, I mean…" he asks curious.

"I'm a translator. Mostly just written stuff. I work from home for a publishing house about thirty miles from here, so it's easier for us this way. When I had to fly here to meet them, Ariel had to stay with my mom and it used to be a few days in a row that I didn't get to see her and I'd miss her to death, so it's better this way."

It doesn't escape him how she hasn't mentioned a fatherly figure. "And hmm, her dad?"

"Not in the picture. Let's leave it at that." She pauses and he's obviously embarrassed he asked. "And you?"

"Hmm I'm a carpenter. Family business. We have this handcrafted furniture shop that's more my dad's thing. I take care of the toys, I make wooden figures. Tourists love them. It's kind of an iconic thing around here." He smiles shyly and looks down at his hands. "It keeps my hands busy, and my mind. I love it."

It sounds genuine, the way he says it. And she's looking at his hands too. His long, skinny fingers, small bruises and cuts here and there, probably from all the woodwork. The way he moves his hands is a little clumsy, but somehow precise. _Oh the things he could do with those hands…_

She startles out of her reverie when his phone beeps. He checks the text message and starts standing up. "I'll be right back."

As Stiles heads to the bar, Lydia watches him walk away. His figure… Well, he's hot. She'd say he's a player with the ladies if he hadn't blushed so hard before, but he sure is nice to look at. Very, very nice. And he probably has a girlfriend. Not a wife though, no rings. But Lydia shouldn't be paying attention to such details. _What am I doing?_

At the bar, Stiles is trying to keep himself together, but the other guy - his friend - is already onto him.

"Are you finally getting out of that drought?" he teases.

"Shut up," Stiles retorts.

"I'm just saying. You got yourself a good one."

"Oh my god, will you stop?" Stiles is hissing at him. "Scott just wanted me to tell you we're meeting at 5:30pm. You weren't checking your phone, as per usual."

"Whatever. Just make sure you're focused later or we might take you down on the field."

"You wish." Stiles is smiling now. He's a hell of a soccer player and his friends haven't been able to take him down. Yet. He looks at the redhead, who is now finishing her breakfast. "It's just coffee. She just moved here a couple days ago and she has a little girl. I'm just trying to be nice."

"Yeah, right. Such a gentleman."

"Just remember. 5:30pm. I gotta go." The man nods and Stiles pays their bill. "See you later, Derek."

Approaching the table, Lydia looks a little uncomfortable. "Stiles, did you just pay? You didn't have to do that…"

"I wanted to. I hope that's okay."

She wants to argue but finds herself smiling as she gets up from her seat. "Thank you. Next time is on me then."

She doesn't know why she said it but for some reason their interactions feel natural, easy. He feels exactly the same, but still scratches his neck. "Sure. Hmm I have to head out to work…"

"Of course. I have to go too. I have a meeting with Mr. Lahey…"

"So I'll see you around?"

"Definitely."

They are all smiles when they leave the coffee shop.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Dude, dad's gonna kill you. You're late again." Stiles says, gesturing to the man that just came in running.

"I know. I'm sorry. We fell asleep."

"She's been crying again?"

"Yeah, it's been crazy lately."

Stiles can't be mad at him. His baby niece has been giving his brother a hard time lately.

"Why don't I babysit tonight? You guys could use a night off…"

His brother's eyes get so big he looks like a pleading puppy. "Are you serious? You'd do that?" Scott is so sleep deprived that Stiles is not even sure he notices how desperate and oblivious he sounds.

He chuckles. "Of course. You're my brother. And I already babysit all the time anyway."

"Not all the time," Scott protests.

"_Right_," he says, a grin on his lips. "And how's Allison?"

"Tired. She can't get much sleep. And she's a little bored, we haven't been out much…"

"We'll think of something," Stiles smiles. "Now come on, let's get to work."

"Not yet. Derek texted me."

Stiles is already blushing, foreseeing what's coming. "And?"

"You tell me. I was just told you went out with some girl."

"I'm gonna kill him. I had coffee with this girl I met when I took _your_ son to preschool, by the way. So it kind of makes this whole situation your fault…"

"Yeah, I totally set you up without even knowing. My bad." They both laugh.

"I don't know. It was just coffee. She is easy to talk to."

"Derek said she's gorgeous. Didn't know you were into redheads, though."

"Shut up."

"So, are you seeing her again?"

"Ariel is in Eric's school so yeah, probably."

"Ariel?"

Stiles' excitement overcomes him. "Her daughter. She's four and she's so cute. You have to see her. A great catch for Eric. Allison's gonna love her."

"You two need to stop that. He's not even five and you keep offering his hand in marriage." Allison and Stiles have developed the habit of encouraging Eric to talk more to girls when they're at the park because he's always so shy with the opposite sex.

"He'll thank me one day, you'll see."

"And what's her mother's name?"

"Lydia."

Stiles knows the way he said her name was a little too enticing, especially for someone he just met, so he blushes, lowering his head. Scott noticed his tone too, but doesn't say anything about it.

"Well maybe you should give her a call, ask her out."

Stiles freezes, looking panicked. "Shit."

"What?"

"I didn't get her number. Didn't even think of it." He curses himself for being so out of his game. Sure, he wasn't really good at flirting, but that was kind of a basic move. If she wasn't so distracting, maybe he would have remembered. _Yeah, totally her fault._

"Then it's a good thing you're picking up Eric later. Just make sure you don't forget about him while you're swooning."

Stiles throws something at Scott that gets him right on his stomach and he bends in pain, but laughing. They get to work.

xxxxxxxxxx

Lydia gets home almost three hours later. Her meeting with Mr. Lahey – Isaac - was, as expected, spotless. His preschool had been greatly recommended and he had a good reputation in the community. Still she hadn't expected him to be so young. He was only a little older than her but highly educated and well-spoken. She liked him instantly. And she also got a chance to talk to Miss Hale, Cora, while the kids were at the playground. They are engaged, Cora and Isaac, and will be married soon. And Cora was so nice to Lydia that she couldn't be happier about her choice. Sure enough, Ariel would be too.

After the meeting, she did some grocery shopping and drove home, then prepared a light meal while she cleaned up the kitchen from the mess she left that morning. Lydia dedicated her afternoon to unpacking some more of their belongings. She's been dragging the task for days, afraid somehow they might have to leave again soon. The thought terrifies her. Unpacking is also a great excuse not to focus on something that has been on her mind all day. Or a certain someone. Without even noticing, she finds herself several times looking nowhere, lost in thoughts again, until she snaps out of it and reminds herself that she's moved here for Ariel and not for herself. As long as Ariel is happy, she's happy.

Almost ready to leave and pick her daughter up from preschool, Lydia stares at her reflection in the mirror. She is beautiful, she knows that. But caring about her image has not been her priority for years now. She can't even remember the last time she put up an effort. But a pair of brown eyes and messy brown hair invade her mind and she finds herself wondering. It wouldn't hurt if she tried, right? Just a little bit?

But then she looks at the time and seeing it's almost time to pick up Ariel, she runs out of the house. Across town, she can't find a place to park near enough the building, so she leaves the car a few blocks away. Half walking half running, Lydia is panting when she finally arrives and goes inside. Slowing her pace and steadying her breathing, she's looking for a certain redhead amongst the other kids when she bumps into someone. Again.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Lydia?"

"Stiles?"

They both smile, nervous. "I think we have to stop meeting like this, or one of us might end up getting hurt," Stiles says, letting out a chuckle. She looks beautiful, red all over her cheeks. "You okay?"

Lydia purses her lips together. "Yeah, sorry, I was looking for Ariel."

He turns around. "She's over there, on the sandbox…" Lydia gets closer to him to try and get a better look. The little girl didn't spot her yet. She's playing with Eric and three other kids. They look happy. "I noticed you weren't here and they were playing together anyway so I figured I could stay a little longer, wait for you. To come get her, I mean."

"Oh." _Great, I'm blushing again_. "Thanks. Hmm…" Lydia feels uneasy around him like she's not sure what she's supposed to do, but it's not a bad feeling, not at all. "Should we go get them?"

He feels the same way towards her. "Yeah, of course."

Noticing the grown-ups nearing the sandbox, both Ariel and Eric start running, throwing themselves at them. She kisses the girl on the cheek while the boy shares his handshake with his uncle.

"Eric, why don't you go get your things? And take Ariel with you. We'll wait by the front door, okay?"

The little boy takes the little girl by the hand as they head to their classroom to go get their backpacks and Stiles and Lydia walk the way back to where she bumped against him. It's strange how Ariel feels so comfortable around Eric, almost how Lydia feels towards Stiles. It's not something they do lightly, trust someone so implicitly like that. It's not natural to them. But Ariel seems happy, and Lydia is inclined to say she might feel the same way. They came here to start a new life, after all.

They wait for the kids to come back while making small talk, and when they are ready to go both Stiles and Lydia want to say something else, both not knowing exactly what to ask for.

That's when a voice comes from behind them breaking their somewhat awkward moment, a high-pitched shout that Lydia could recognize anywhere. "Lydia Martin, is that you?"

And she's already turning around, smiling wide. "Allison?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lydia turns around to see a woman with a stroller in front of her, a big smile on her face. The brunette has her hair shorter now, around her shoulders. When Lydia knew her, her hair was long. And she's a little taller, but not much, and she still looks as beautiful as Lydia remembers her.

"Oh my god, Allison! I found you!" She almost runs to the girl and they hug for a long time.

"More like _I found you_. When did you get here?"

"Just last week. I lost my phone last month and your number was in it," Lydia explains. "I couldn't reach you, sorry."

Allison hugs her again. "I don't care. You're here now, that's what matters." They both smile.

Lydia can see Stiles coming closer to both of them but doesn't pay him much attention. This is not about him right now. She turns to the stroller where a beautiful baby girl is asleep. "And who's this?"

"This is Claudia. She's six months old."

"She's beautiful." Lydia can't help but to let out a screech.

Stiles takes a peek at the baby and brushes his fingers on her cute little cheek fondly. "Shh. Lydia, you'll wake her."

Allison pretends to look confused. "Wait, you two know each other?"

Stiles and Lydia look nervously at each other and try to hide their faces, now getting rosy. Obviously Allison notices, but doesn't say anything.

Lydia is the first to speak. "Hmm I only met Stiles this morning. Ariel just started preschool here today and..."

Allison cuts her off. "Who's Ariel?"

Stiles answers. "It's her daughter. Oh just wait for her, Ally, she's gorgeous."

Lydia is perplexed that Stiles would answer for her about something so personal since they barely know each other. She's so perplexed, in fact, that she even missed the way he called the brunette by her nickname. But it didn't really bother Lydia what Stiles said, she notices. And the way he said it was... Well, caring, for the lack of a better word. He already sounds more invested in her daughter's life than her father ever did.

Allison looks shocked. "God. Lydia Martin, a mother? That's something I never thought would happen." There's a smirk all over her face that Lydia returns.

"I could say the same about you!" Lydia bites back. They both laugh.

"Well this is fun and all, but I have questions," Stiles intervenes, feeling a little out of place. The girls turn to him. "Okay. First, how do you two know each other? And second, Ally what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I came to pick up Eric. It was my turn."

"Allison, I know you've been tired and all, but you gotta pay attention. I texted you this morning offering to come pick him up, and you actually replied saying _'thanks, you're a life saver',_" he says, mimicking Allison.

Allison looks stunned. "I did?"

Stiles tries not to laugh. "I love you, Ally, I do. But you need to rest, like asap. And now, back to question one."

Lydia was amused seeing their interactions and was lost, again, paying attention to his hands. Stiles seems to move them a lot when he talks. Distracted as she was, Lydia didn't even notice that Stiles was talking to her, so thank god Allison answered his question. "We met when Lydia was attending college. I worked at a bar she used to go to."

"Oh so you've known each other for a while..." Stiles is cursing Allison in his head so bad right now. Why on Earth hadn't she ever mentioned Lydia?

"Yeah, a few years. We still kept in touch for a while after college, but then life happened like it always does and we kind of drift apart, I guess..." Allison says, looking a little sad.

Lydia continues, addressing Stiles. "Allison was actually the friend who kept telling me about Beacon Hills. She had been away for a few years when we met, but after her mom passed away she kept telling me she wanted to come back and would tell me great things about this town. She made me feel drawn here." She turns to Allison. "And I wanted to find you; I could use a familiar face around here." Both girls smile.

Okay, so maybe Stiles shouldn't have cursed Allison. How rude of him. He's about to open his mouth when Allison interrupts him, a little aggression in her tone.

"Wait, are you still with that jerk Jackson?"

Lydia blushes and shakes her head no and, as if on cue, Ariel and Eric come running to them. She whispers to Allison. "No, but maybe we can talk about it some other time?"

Allison nods, but is doing it in slow motion because her eyes are fixated in the cutest little girl she's ever seen (aside from Claudia, of course). "Oh my god, is that Ariel?"

Stiles grins. "What did I tell you?"

Lydia grabs Ariel by the hand and expects to see Eric by Stiles' side, but the boy is with Allison. And they actually look alike. "Wait, Eric's your son too?" Allison nods, her hand playing with the boy's hair. Lydia turns to Stiles. "So what does that make you?"

"Brother-in-law. But Ally is actually like my sister."

"Awww." Allison makes a face. "You're the best, Stiles."

He smiles at Allison, then at Lydia. "She just says that to make me babysit. Ouch." Allison pinched him in the arm.

"Shut up. You love it." Allison laughs, but her attention is suddenly requested by Eric. She bends down a little, enough for the boy to whisper in her ear. Lydia glances at Stiles to catch his gaze but he's looking down, making faces at Ariel. The girl is actually laughing back at him.

"Okay. Hmm let's see." Allison gets up, putting her hands on Eric's shoulders, facing Lydia with a big smile on her face. "Eric wants me to ask you if Ariel can come and play with him later."

Lydia stares at Ariel, unsure. She really wants time with Allison, it's one of the reasons she came to Beacon Hills. But should she?

Allison doesn't give her much time to think. "Please, Lydia, come. We have so much to catch up on. And you could meet the whole pack. We always get together at the park every afternoon. You'll love it. And Ariel will have plenty of other kids to play with. And besides it's Thursday. The week is already ending anyways and I'm sure Cora won't mind if Ariel is a little tired tomorrow. Hell, she'll love to get to know her better."

"I'm not sure I follow..."

"Cora is part of the pack. Our group, I mean. You'll love everyone. Please come. Pretty please." She's making Lydia puppy eyes now.

"Oh god, I haven't seen those in years," Lydia laughs, turning to Ariel. "What do you say? You want to play with Eric later?" Part of her hopes her daughter will say no, but the rest of her wants the girl to scream yes.

Ariel nods a little reluctantly now that the attention is on her, but manages a little smile.

"It's settled then," says Allison. "We usually meet in a park about three miles from here, but you'll never find our spot by yourself. So I'll meet you here at six and you can follow my car. Sounds good?"

Lydia looks at her watch. If she leaves now, they have time to go home and change, as well as to grab something to eat. "Sure."

"Great." Allison looks like a teenager, excited as she is. "Here," she hands Lydia her cellphone. "Just type your number and I'll ring you so you can save mine." Lydia obeys and before they all leave, Allison makes sure to make her move just like she and Lydia did for one another back in college. "Oh, and you should get Stiles' number too. You never know when you'll need it." Allison is grinning.

Both Stiles and Lydia go scarlet but they do it anyway, their hands touching again when they exchange phones bringing back that sensation of electricity running through them. They both pretend nothing happened because Allison can't take her eyes off of them, but they still feel it in their skin, that strange warmth.

Lydia and Ariel head home and Stiles offers Allison and the kids a ride so he can have the chance to bring hell on Allison.

Already inside his car, Allison speaks first. "Before you say anything, you should know I did it for both of you."

"What? Embarrass us to death? Gee thanks." He's frowning but wants to laugh at the same time. "I was gonna ask for her number, okay?"

"Well, Scott mentioned some girl named Lydia and that you guys had something this morning and that you, _of course_, forgot to ask her for her number. I just didn't know it was this Lydia and by the way I'm really, _really_ glad it is. So I just gave a little push." She smiles, a little proud of herself.

"Oh my god. We didn't have something this morning, we had coffee. _Just coffee_, Allison. Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?" His fingers are fidgeting nervously on the wheel.

"Maybe because it's been awhile, you know..." She's speaking lower now. "We worry about you. It's about time you get out there again."

"Allison, don't..." His voice is suddenly weaker, broken.

"Listen. Lydia is amazing and she's been through a lot too. You have no idea." His head turns to face her briefly to try and read her expression before turning to the road again. "Maybe this will be good for both of you. I'm not saying you should go and hmm..." She turns her head to her kids on the backseat and clears her throat. "... _you know_. Just get to know her, give it a chance."

Allison offers him a shy smile. And she means every word she said. Sure, she hasn't been with Lydia for years now, but things probably haven't been that good if the redhead moved miles away from home and still won't talk that openly about that jerk. And Stiles' torment is different, darker on its own way, but somehow Allison figures they may be perfect for each other. And she's sure they already picked up on it, even if they only met this morning. Those looks were _so not innocent_, but she chooses to not bring it up for now.

They drive quietly the rest of the way.

xxxxxxxxxx

Lydia is obviously nervous by the time she gets home. Why would she agree to go meet them? Of course that deep down she knows. Lydia craves human interaction, it's part of her biological needs. And to be fair it's been years since she hung out with anyone, probably since Allison, and she can see the light it could bring to their lives. Ariel would certainly benefit from it; she needs to be around people too. But it scares Lydia. When things started to go right in the past, something would go wrong and they would be again at square one. Lydia shakes her head at the thought. Jackson was the something that happened but he wasn't here now, so things couldn't go wrong, right?

She prepares a snack for herself and Ariel and lets the girl choose a few toys to take with her to the park while Lydia changes. In front of the mirror, Lydia stares at her image, remembering what she was like when she met Allison. Fierce, certainly, and a leader, just not with Jackson. And she would always dress like she was about to hit the runway, low necklines and short skirts. How times have changed.

She stills wants to feel a little sexy, though; it's been a while, too long really. Lydia takes off her clothes and finds a pair of skinny black jeans with a high waist and a white silk shirt that she knots at her waist on the side right above her jeans, with just enough cleavage to show what she's got but definitely not too much that it would be considered inappropriate. She ties her hair low to the side and curls it, and applies little to no makeup, just a little lipstick and mascara. Looking at herself again through the mirror, she can already see the difference. She might even look a little younger. And the fabric from her shirt is a little sparkly, contrasting enough with her hair and her eyes to make her look so much better.

"Mommy, you look beautiful." Lydia hadn't notice that Ariel had made her way into the room, so she jumps slightly, startled.

"You wanna help me pick up a necklace, sweetie?"

The girl nods and heads to Lydia's vanity. After a little bit of time for contemplation, she chooses. "This one." It's a long necklace with a starfish pendant in silver, Ariel's favorite.

"Of course." She smiles and kisses Ariel's cheek. "Are you ready to go?" The girl nods.

Putting on some sandals and grabbing her purse, Lydia takes Ariel and they head out the door.

xxxxxxxxxx

Allison and Lydia already passed the park's entrance but Allison keeps driving, so Lydia follows in her car behind the brunette. They stop by the edge of the woods and get out of their cars. Ariel almost runs to Eric and Lydia joins them as Allison gets Claudia on her stroller.

"Aren't we a little close to the woods?" Lydia asks, sounding a little hesitant.

"Oh right. Forgot that you've never been here. There's a clearing right over there..." She points to where Eric is currently leading them. Lydia can already see people there. "The boys turned it into a soccer field a few years ago. The Stilinskis put in a good word with the Mayor so the whole park was reconstructed. It had been left abandoned like twenty years ago. So the boys helped and it looks incredibly good now. Pretty much everyone in town comes here, we just spend more time here than anyone else. There are a few picnic tables for us too. At least that's where we usually sit, the girls, I mean. And the playground for the kids is close enough so that we can keep an eye on them and still check out the boys." She winks at Lydia, smiling. "And it's totally safe, I swear."

When they get there, Lydia knows she made the right choice. The clearing is beautiful and wide and there's green everywhere. Allison is waving at the boys playing on the field and Lydia heads with her for one of the tables. She takes it all in. There are eight men playing at the soccer field and another one on the sidelines, who she assumes is playing referee; she can hear his whistle from where she stands. At the tables, two girls wave at Allison and Lydia, one of them being Cora. At the next table sit an older couple with a baby and a guy with another baby on his lap. Children are all around them. In fact, there are a lot of children. Lydia smiles. She already knows they belong here.

As soon as they get to the table, Cora is already smiling. "I hope this is not too weird for you."

Lydia dismisses it quickly. "Of course not. I'm glad we came," she says, her hands resting on Ariel's shoulders.

Allison excitedly introduces her, turning her attention to both tables. "Well this is Lydia. She'll become part of our family in no time." She laughs and Lydia blushes, managing a smile and waving at them. Allison gestures to the girl sitting across from Cora. "This is Braeden. Derek's wife." She turns pointing to one of the boys on the field. "Three kids, somewhere around here..."

"Oh don't be like that," Braeden answers, smiling to Lydia. "She always does that. Somehow she thinks our kids are much more hyperactive than she expects hers to be. It's nice to meet you."

Lydia returns the compliment and whispers to Allison, her eyes glancing briefly to the man Allison had pointed at. "He works at a coffee shop, doesn't he?" Lydia is assuming he's the guy from this morning, the one that worked on the coffee shop, but the soccer field is a little far away for Lydia to be sure. But Allison smirks at her so _yeah, he's the guy_.

Turning her attention to the second table, Allison continues. "These are my in-laws, John and Melissa..." They wave at the girls. Allison makes her way to them and gestures for the baby girl in Melissa's arms. "... and this is little Emma. She's two. And this" she turns to the other man "is the nicest guy you'll ever meet in your life, I swear to god," says Allison, patting him on the back.

He extends his hand to Lydia and she shakes it. "I'm Danny. Allison won't shut up about you." he says smiling. "She made sure everyone knew you were coming."

"Yeah, I missed that about her. And this little guy?" She gestures to the baby boy on his lap.

"This is Noah. He's turning one this weekend."

Lydia smiles and lets one of her fingers be wrapped by Noah's little hand while babbling to him playfully and bringing Ariel along with her and closer to the baby as well. Lydia doesn't notice the two boys that come running towards the group from the soccer field.

"So you're Lydia, hmm?" she hears from behind her. Not recognizing the voice, the redhead turns around to face a brown-haired boy, who looks like he is attached to the hip with Allison.

The brunette speaks for him, grinning. "This is my husband, Scott." He shakes Lydia's hand, all smiles. "And I believe you already met Stiles." Allison gestures to the boy next to Scott.

Lydia figures she must be in some alternate universe. _Right?_ Because Stiles is looking at her in a way that makes her insides clench and he's panting, probably from all the running, and completely covered in sweat, his hair wet and damp a tone darker than what she remembers from just a few hours before, and his t-shirt is gripping his torso in a way that Lydia is sure is illegal.

_Oh, this will be interesting_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Melissa is the one addressing Lydia. "You look a little flushed."

If Lydia could dig up her grave right then and there, she would. Allison breaks out laughing and Scott follows. Stiles is just looking at his feet.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just spaced out for a minute. I think it's all the fresh air." That seems to do it for Melissa but certainly not for Allison, who is now just laughing harder, almost to the point of not breathing. _Great, Lydia_.

"What's so funny?" The voice comes from behind and sounds familiar, so Lydia turns around. There are a lot of people behind them, like _a lot_ of people. Isaac is the one who spoke.

"Hi, Isaac. Allison is the one who won't stop laughing so I wouldn't know," Lydia remarks innocently.

"Well, maybe I should share," the brunette snarls back at Lydia, amused. Lydia can see the game in her eyes. It's like she's in college all over again. God, how she'd missed it.

Lydia turns to the others, a smirk on her face. "Weren't you gonna introduce us, Allison?"

"Oh right." Allison recomposes herself, biting her lower lip so that she can control better her need to laugh. She clears her throat. "Everyone, assemble."

And quickly everyone starts moving around and Lydia doesn't understand what's happening. Until she does. They are getting together for what she assumes is each respective family. It seems that all the boys that were playing on the field are now here and children came running from the playground to join them. A little scared about the sudden chaos, Ariel gets closer to Lydia.

Everyone is smiling. They probably enjoy this. Once all of them seem to be in their rightful places, Allison speaks up. "Okay so everyone, this is Lydia. She's an old friend of mine and just moved here last week. And that is her little girl Ariel." Allison smiles at Lydia and goes stand by her side, putting her arm around Lydia's waist. "They are family now."

Lydia returns the smile and embraces her too. She really missed Allison. Aside from her mom, she's the only person she knew who made her feel like she was home. Allison starts the introductions, from the left to right.

"Okay so Braeden is married to Derek." Derek nods at Lydia, a smile hiding on his lips. Lydia blushes. "And those are the brats." The kids make a face at Allison, laughing nervously. "Carter is their only boy, he's 8. Then there's Charlotte, 6, and Chloe. She's 3." The kids wave at Lydia and Ariel and they smile. "Then we have Cora and Isaac, you already met them. Cora is Derek's sister."

"That I didn't know."

"Then we have Danny. He's with Ethan," Allison gestures in their direction. "They just adopted little Noah. And at Ethan's left is Aiden, his twin brother."

"I figured as much, Allison." They all laugh.

"Well you already know us. Scott and I are married and have Eric and Claudia. Then there's Stiles." She pauses, glancing briefly at Lydia, then continuing. "John and Melissa are Scott and Stiles' parents and adopted Emma. And the only two left are Liam and Mason." They younger boys wave.

A whistle blows behind the group, startling everyone. "And what about me? Am I not a part of your little clique?"

Everyone laughs loudly. Scott pats the older man on the back and brings him up front. "Lydia, this is Coach. We played lacrosse on his team when he teached high school. Now he's finally gone pro and teaches college. Liam and Mason play on his team there. He's a part of our family too."

"I was always a pro, McCall."

Allison finishes. "Well I think that's everyone. At least from who is present. You have nothing to worry about, Lydia. You two will fit right in."

xxxxxxxxxx

They do. After all introductions were made, the boys resumed the game and the kids led Ariel by the hand to the playground. Lydia sat at the table with Allison, joining the others who were there before. Danny is the only one who left, now walking around the park with Noah.

"Some family you got here," Lydia says, turning to John and Melissa. "Did you always want a big family?" The older couple exchanges a sad look that makes Lydia feel a little uncomfortable, like maybe she said the wrong thing. "Oh, I shouldn't have..."

"Oh honey it's fine, don't worry. You won't know if no one tells you, right?" Melissa smiles at Lydia and moves on her seat so that she's facing her. "So my husband left me when Scott was just a kid, and Stiles' mom..." She glances at John, putting her hand above his and squeezing softly. "She passed away when he was little too. And Scott and Stiles are best friends, always were. Like brothers, really. They are inseparable, so inevitably all of us spent a lot of time together. Around the time the guys were in high school, John and I started dating and got married after their graduation. And not too long ago we decided to adopt this little girl. I guess it was about time, you know?"

John continues. "What she's trying to say is that yes, we wanted a big family, but life happened and things got in the way. But we're getting the hang of it now. And our family is so much more than blood." He looks around. "It's more than we could have asked for." He returns his gaze to Melissa and they kiss, and it's a kiss so full of love that Lydia almost looks away. It's not something she sees every day, unfortunately.

She turns to Braeden. "And why three C's? Carter, Charlotte and Chloe, right?"

Braeden laughs. "It's kind of stupid actually. Derek and I were out the night I found out I was pregnant with Carter and we'd had a little too much to drink, so somehow we agreed that as my name started with a B and his with a D, it was logical that our kids should have names that start with C. We chose a lot of names that night and some just wouldn't get out of our heads the next day, so we stuck with it."

"Well, they are adorable."

"Oh just wait." Allison retorts. "They don't stop, like ever. They are always running around."

"Well they are kids, Allison. Not all of them can be shy and quiet like Eric."

Lydia intervenes. "Eric didn't look so shy. Not with Ariel, anyway. Just a little at first, maybe..."

"Well I think he likes her. They are so cute together!"

Everyone turns to the playground, happiness on their faces as they see their kids.

"You sound like Stiles. He said the same this morning," Lydia points out.

Allison lowers her voice. "So we are talking about Stiles now, is it?"

Lydia gets defensive. "No, I just meant..."

"You and I are going for a walk. _There's a lot_ we have to catch up on." Allison doesn't even let Lydia answer, just grabs her by the arm. "Braeden, would you please keep an eye on the kids? Since obviously Cora's mind is somewhere else."

At the sound of her name, Cora turns to the girls. She's been sitting on the table with them the whole time but it's like she's not even there. "What?"

"Let me guess. Daydreaming of Isaac again?"

"Can you blame me? He's hot and he's gonna marry me. And have you seen him running? God, is it hot in here?"

The girls laugh. Allison starts leading Lydia away taking Claudia with them on her arms, only turning around to mutter to the others "We might take a while."

xxxxxxxxxx

On the field, the boys take a water break. They are just playing for the fun of it but Coach likes to keep them in their place. Or he likes to pretend he still has some kind of power over them, which he does not - at all - but they love him so they let him.

"Maybe you should step up your game, Stiles." Scott figures a little teasing can't hurt much.

"Dude, what now?"

"You're a great player, man. Actually you're the best player we've got, so maybe you should put on a show, you know, let her know how good you are..."

"Is this about Lydia? Because I swear to god Scott, you and Allison will be the death of me. Just please let it go..."

"Stiles..."

"Scott, I can take care of myself, thank you very much. We had coffee and we talked, okay, and we kind of had a _thing_, but... Scott, she's a twelve out of a ten, minimum, are you kidding me? And I'm an eight, tops." Scott snorts. "Okay, more like a six and a half. I will probably never talk to her again anyway..."

Scott interrupts him. "I seriously doubt that."

"Dude, either you just found out you trust me way more than I thought you did or you hit your head pretty hard. Or you're delusional," Stiles rambles, taking a sip of his water.

Scott smiles. "Neither. She's coming here." Stiles almost chokes.

xxxxxxxxxx

The girls start walking on a trail that goes around the entire clearing. They walk slowly, a little nervous that they are by themselves for the first time; it's been years. Lydia speaks first.

"Can I ask something?" Allison nods. "Would you mind if I picked up Claudia for a little while?" Lydia is blushing as she asks. "I haven't held a baby since Ariel, and Claudia is looking at me like that and I really wanna hold her."

Allison laughs. "Of course." She passes Claudia to Lydia. "She does give us the look, right?"

Lydia smiles, delighted. "It's amazing, Ally. What you have here, your family. It's just... Amazing."

"I meant it, you know. When I left, back in college? I told you I'd be waiting for you when you were ready. I'm just a little sad it took so long..." Allison confesses, grabbing Lydia's arm and holding tight.

"I'm sorry," Lydia whispers. "You know I had too much to lose. I couldn't risk my parent's good name or my degree. I worked so hard for it..." She pauses. "We got married right after you left, did you know? He almost didn't give me time to tell anyone. Jackson was just waiting for you to leave. He actually blamed you more than once, said you were the one holding me back."

"Bastard," Allison mutters, shrugging her shoulders. "But I actually was, so maybe he wasn't as stupid as I thought he was." She glances at Lydia with concern now. "Did things get better?"

"Not really, no. More of the same." Lydia blushes, ashamed. Allison knew Jackson would beat her up sometimes, aside from the constant shouting and arguing and all the threats. But the complaint had to come from Lydia or it wouldn't follow, so Allison would give Lydia the support she would take. "But it wasn't for long, not after you left. I got out as soon as I found out about Ariel. I am not willing to risk her."

"I'm glad you're safe now. And your parents?"

"Got divorced, as expected. I stayed with my mom after I left him."

"She was so much fun. I miss her."

"Oh she'll come by soon. She'll love to see you."

Allison smiles. "How is she taking you being so far away?"

"She's managing, I guess. But it's only been over a week and she already wants to come and visit, so maybe not that well." Lydia smiles back. "And your dad, how is he?"

"Perfect, as always. Lots of hunting trips. He's not around much, been travelling a lot. But he's happy. I'll make sure to let him know you're here."

They walk for a little while in silence with Lydia playing with Claudia all the time. "I can't begin to tell you how much I missed having a baby in my arms." Lydia murmurs, smiling wide. "When Ariel was born, we moved a lot. I was terrified that Jackson would show up. Guess I never really enjoyed my time with her in the beginning."

"Well, no worries, my friend. Lots of babies around here."

"I noticed. And I meant it. Your family is amazing. After all that your mom put you through, being as demanding as she was... I'm proud of you, Ally."

"Aww," Allison catches a tear that's about to fall. "You'll make me cry," she says laughing.

"I love you. I missed saying that." She hugs the brunette.

"I love you too. And you're a part of this family now. I'm not letting you go anywhere."

They smile and keep walking while talking to little Claudia, who's now playing with Lydia's necklace. They haven't noticed they were so close to the soccer field, so Scott's shout startles them.

"Hey Allison, Lydia. Come here."

The girls exchange a glance and start heading towards them. He's with Stiles near one of the benches, far away just enough for Allison to strike again before they get there.

"So, what's up with you and Stiles?"

"What do you mean?" Lydia tries to sound uninterested, but even to her ears it didn't sound convincing.

Allison smirks. "You can't tell me that there's nothing there."

It really is like they are back in college. They would do this to the other all the time. Lydia smiles, a mischievous look on her face. "Then I'm not saying anything."

They both laugh.

"Going for a walk?" Scott asks.

"Yeah, Lydia needed some fresh air." Allison mocks.

Lydia elbows her, dismissing her answer. "Yes, Scott. We were just catching up. She should know better than to make fun of someone who's currently holding her baby daughter, though." Scott smiles. Lydia looks at Claudia and kisses her forehead, then holds the cord of her necklace so that Claudia can play with the pendant.

Allison and Scott start talking about something else when Stiles steps closer to Lydia. "You shouldn't let her do that." He gently grabs the pendant from Claudia and returns it to Lydia's hands, ignoring yet again that warm feeling that comes from touching the redhead. "She usually breaks the necklaces or tries to strangle someone. She's pretty strong." He chuckles, turning his attention to the baby. "You are a little demon, aren't you?" He's playful and the baby must think he said something interesting because she's laughing like he's the funniest guy in the world.

Stiles didn't even do anything, really. He just stepped closer and touched Lydia's hand again, and now he's playing with a baby. Totally ordinary, _right? No_, because for some reason Lydia's heart is now racing and he's really close and she doesn't know what to do.

Claudia reaches her arms to him. "Oh sweetie, I can't hold you," he whispers to the baby, a grin on his face, cupping the baby girl's cheeks. "I'm all sweaty."

_Great, like I needed a reminder_. Lydia bites her lower lip.

Allison breaks the moment right when Lydia lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Well, Coach will be coming for you guys soon if you don't resume the game, so we're gonna keep going."

Stiles took a step back as soon as Allison spoke. For a minute he forgot there were other people there aside from Lydia and Claudia.

Allison continues. "And I don't wanna be rude but right now I want Lydia all to myself," she says grinning.

Stiles is about to say something but Allison doesn't let him finish. "Don't worry, you can have her later." She takes Lydia by the arm again turning around quickly, so neither Stiles nor Lydia see the other's face, now completely red.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lydia waits until she and Allison are far enough from the boys to slap Allison's arm playfully. "Why did you do that?"

"What? I didn't do anything." Allison looks back at the redhead with the most innocent face she can pull off.

"Ally, I just got here. And I know it feels like everything is the same as back then, it really does," she says smiling, "but things are different, okay? I'm different. And then there's Ariel…"

"Lydia…"

"He seems like a great guy, Ally. I wouldn't want to… Hmm…"

"To what, Lyds?" Allison asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know, Allison. He seems really nice. I wouldn't want to mess it up or anything. We just met."

Allison smiles brightly. "You two are more alike than you think. But I'll stop…" she concedes, raising her arms in defeat. Lydia smiles back. "… _if_ you'll consider it." Lydia's head falls down to her chest, her cheeks rosy. Allison laughs. "I'm just saying, think about it, okay? I promise I won't do it again."

Lydia gives her a suspicious look, but the brunette seems to have resigned, at least for now.

Together they head back to the tables, and soon after everyone leaves for the night. After dinner, when Lydia is tucking Ariel into bed, the little girl won't stop rambling about the friends she made and how much she liked school and everyone. When she finally falls asleep, completely tired but with a faint smile on her lips, Lydia can't help but smile too.

xxxxxxxxxx

Turns out that Allison didn't need to do anything.

Days go by and everyone seems to fit together. By Sunday, Lydia and Ariel are invited to Noah's first birthday party and during the following weeks they occasionally get together with the rest of the group. After a month, it's like they always belonged there.

For Lydia it wasn't hard fitting in.

Before Jackson she was incredibly social. Her high school years practically consisted of socially climbing the ladder to become a queen of her own, something she has learned to regret over the years. She never really made friends and usually hid her intelligence.

In college, things changed. In her first year, she finally met a few people that cared about her enough, Allison among them, and she was no longer hiding. It was probably the most carefree year of her life but it didn't last long. Early in her second year, she met Jackson and things changed again. Since then, Lydia has kept to herself, too afraid to trust anyone other than her family members.

That's how she felt safe.

She couldn't be happier now to have found Beacon Hills, though. Having Allison in her life again was a blessing, and with the others it didn't take long for her to start trusting them. It was easy and came natural to them all.

Her main concern was Ariel.

With Lydia being a single parent, the girl behaved a lot like her and usually only trusted family, so when they became close with the rest of the group, Lydia expected Ariel to be more reserved. And the girl was shy, so she figured it would take her a while to get used to it. It turned out it was quite the opposite.

The way the little girl bonded with everyone instantly was endearing and Ariel was slowly starting to become more confident and socially involved. Even the change of town and preschool didn't seem to affect her much, not negatively anyway. Ariel was happy, so Lydia was happy. Allison and Cora were great with Ariel and the girl absolutely loved Danny and little Noah. Danny, being a very smart guy, kept teaching things to Ariel and she loved it. Also, Claudia, being the youngest of all the kids, had Ariel completely stunned. She had never interacted so much with a baby before.

What made Lydia's heart melt the most, however, was how Ariel got along with Stiles. The girl just couldn't get enough of him. Every time the group got together, Lydia would notice how Stiles usually spent more time with the kids than with the grown-ups. And he was actually great with them. The kids loved him, no exceptions, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

She also noticed how much attention he paid to Ariel. She saw how sometimes the little girl would struggle when she didn't know if something was okay to ask of him, but it was like he already had everything worked out. Just two weeks ago, when they were all together at Derek's and it was getting late, Lydia came to find Stiles sitting on the couch with Ariel lying next to him, her head resting on his lap as she fell asleep while he read her a story. And the weekend after that, Lydia counted the minutes he spent talking to the little girl, amusing her and answering all of her infinite questions. It had been over an hour.

It's something Lydia hadn't thought about before, how having male figures in Ariel's life would affect the both of them.

Allison had managed to keep her part of the deal during the month that passed, but somehow Lydia and Stiles became close right away on their own. _Just friends_, of course, but Lydia was speechless when it came to him. How selfless and kind and smart and funny he was. Good looks aside - even though it most certainly was a part of Lydia's interest in him -, his personality was so charming and appealing to her that she gave into him the same way that Ariel did.

Inevitably.

Stiles and Lydia didn't spend any time alone since they met, always surrounded by the others, but they still got to know each other well. Stiles didn't talk too much about his past and neither did Lydia, which was probably for the best, but they both still got hints of what happened with the other's life from conversations with the rest of the group.

After their second weekend in town, Allison convinced Lydia to join the gym where she worked as a receptionist. That way they could spend a little more time together, and after Allison's shift they could both attend Braeden's yoga class before picking up the kids from school.

The first day she went to class with Allison, however, Lydia noticed Stiles was there too. They just made small talk before the class began and, after it ended, when he left them to head to the men's room, curiosity got the best of her and just Lydia had to ask.

"I didn't know Stiles was into yoga…" she commented.

Lydia had seen him struggle a little, but the boy was determined to not let that disturb him.

"Were you checking him out? I saw you…"

"Ally!" Lydia sometimes had to stomp her foot and roll her eyes at Allison. Sure, the brunette wasn't purposefully trying to get them together like she promised, but she would make comments once in a while.

She still wasn't wrong though.

Allison just smiled and Lydia had tried to explain. "I meant it's not very common seeing men practicing yoga…"

"Yeah, right…" Allison said, amused. "He hmm…" Allison paused, debating in her head whether she should tell Lydia or not. "Stiles was in a car crash a couple years ago. He got injured. It wasn't pretty. He implemented yoga as part of his recovery. Helps with his body and his mind, you know? It's been really good for him."

The more Lydia learned about him, the more attracted she was, even if she couldn't exactly explain why. She hadn't asked him about the accident and he hadn't shared it with her yet, the same way he hadn't brought up Lydia's history of abuse, which he heard about one morning when he was having breakfast at Scott and Allison's.

There was some channel broadcasting a piece about domestic violence on TV and Allison murmured something about how glad she was that Lydia wasn't together with her ex anymore. Scott had agreed with her (Allison, of course, had told her husband about it) but Stiles didn't say anything.

He couldn't grasp the idea of someone hurting another person, let alone Lydia, like that. It was repulsive and knowing it happened to Lydia, even if Stiles didn't know yet to what extent, only made him feel more drawn to the strawberry blonde.

Life is weird like that.

xxxxxxxxxx

On a Wednesday afternoon almost six weeks after mother and daughter arrived to Beacon Hills, Lydia is waiting for Ariel to grab her things at the preschool so they can go home when she notices Stiles and Eric waving at her. She waves back, smiling as they walk towards her.

"Hey guys."

"Hi, Lydia," they greet.

Eric likes Lydia a lot. Says she looks like Ariel.

The little boy gives her an envelope, an excited tone in his voice. "I have something for you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"You have to read it," he replies blatantly as if it's obvious.

Lydia smiles. "Oh, of course." She starts opening the envelope but Stiles quickly closes it, touching Lydia's hand softly.

"Wait," he says smiling and looking down at Eric. "We were supposed to wait for Ariel, remember?"

The boy nods curtly.

Lydia looks behind Stiles to see her daughter coming in their direction. "There she is." Lydia kisses her cheek and soon after the girl is at Stiles' side, waiting for a hug. He bends down and embraces her, grinning. "Hey gorgeous, how are you today?"

He always does that. And every time, both Ariel and Lydia blush, smiling shyly like it's the first time they hear his compliment.

"I made you a drawing," Ariel blurts out, looking very proud of herself.

"Really?" he asks, surprised. The girl nods frantically and Stiles ends up blushing too. "Then I'll have to ask you to do something for me, okay?" He directs his gaze at her mom, eyes sparkling. "Lydia, you can read the card now."

Caught off guard checking Stiles out, Lydia drops the envelope to the ground. They both laugh nervously trying to relieve some of the tension that suddenly sets itself between them and Stiles picks up the envelope for her, giving it back with a small smile. Lydia returns the smile and pulls out the card that's inside to read it.

"To Ariel and Lydia," she recites out loud. Lydia turns the card around and reads what's on the back. "You are invited to our birthday party this weekend. There will be cake. Bring presents. Kisses, Eric and Stiles."

Both Stiles and Lydia laugh freely, amused.

"I did everything," Eric states proudly with a happy smile playing on his lips, referring to the decorations on the postcard. "Uncle Stiles just wrote the words."

Stiles chuckles. "Yeah, I wasn't very helpful."

Lydia looks up at Stiles surprised. "I didn't realize it was also your birthday." Lydia knew Eric's birthday was coming soon but she hadn't heard anyone mentioning about Stiles'.

"Eric's birthday is on Saturday, mine's on Sunday. We usually just celebrate together. Guess I forgot to mention it before, sorry." It was true. Sometimes the group would feel like Lydia had always been with them, so they would forget that there were things that she, of course, wouldn't know. "So… You'll come, right?"

"Of course. Count us in." For some reason, Lydia can't stop smiling. It's becoming a habit when she's around Stiles.

He turns to Ariel. "I already know what I want to get for my birthday. Would you give me your drawing as my present? Would that be okay?"

Ariel looks at Lydia, a little concerned. "We have to wrap it, mommy. Do you know how to wrap drawings?"

Both Lydia and Stiles laugh again. "I think I can figure it out, yes."

Ariel turns to Stiles again, looking a little sad. "But you'll know it's a drawing…"

"I won't know what's on it, okay?" He strokes her cheek. "And I know I'll love it anyway. Now I won't leave until I see a smile." The girl's smile breaks free quickly, she can't help it. "There's my girl."

Lydia's heart always falters whenever she listens to Stiles and Ariel talking like that. The way he cares about the girl and the way her daughter trusts him implicitly is something Lydia was not expecting to happen, not after she chose to leave Jackson and raise Ariel on her own.

She has to admit she's really glad she did.

"And you, Eric, what you would like to get for your birthday?" Lydia asks the little boy, but Stiles answers for him.

"Oh, don't get him started. He has a list." Stiles grabs a piece of paper from his jeans pocket that he hands to Lydia. "There."

"I want something about space or dinosaurs or pirates…" Eric starts rambling as she reads, but Stiles stops him.

"Or whatever she feels like giving. Right, buddy?"

"Yeah..." Eric frowns and Lydia smiles.

"I'll see what I can do, okay?" She messes with his hair, making the boy chuckle. "We'll see you guys tomorrow. Guess we have some shopping to do."

xxxxxxxxxx

Later that night, Lydia gets a text.

**Stiles: I forgot to mention it, but the bday party will be at my place and all the grown-ups are supposed to stay up late. At least until midnight, for me, so you might wanna bring Ariel's pjs in case she falls asleep before that**

Lydia bites her lip and texts back.

**Lydia: Sure. You never mentioned what you wanted to get for your birthday, though**

His reply is quick.

**Stiles: I don't need anything, really. The party's more about Eric. The others are just staying late for a drink**

**Lydia: It'll still be your birthday. I should get you a present**

This time he takes a little longer to answer.

**Stiles: Then I guess your presence will have to suffice**

Lydia can't help but to blush as she texts him one last time for the night.

**Lydia: I look forward to it**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Everyone gets together that weekend. Natalie comes to Beacon Hills to visit and check on her girls, and Chris will be coming home for the first time in weeks for his grandson's birthday. Lydia hasn't seen the man since she moved here. He had been nice to her when she met him back when she and Allison were in college. It'll be nice to see him again. It's like everything is falling into place.

The girls arrive at Stiles' place around four. The others are already there along with some kids from Eric's class and their parents. Stiles is the one opening the front door to mother and daughter, strawberry blond locks falling freely to their waist, matching olive dresses and rosy cheeks as they laugh. Stiles is speechless. He could swear he just died.

"Stiles, are you okay?" Lydia stops laughing abruptly, taking in his expression and blushing harder. He looks awed. It takes him a few seconds to answer.

"Y- Yeah, sorry. I-…" He kind of forgot how to breathe. "Sorry." He moves to let them in. "You look stunning".

Lydia cracks a smile and, without really thinking about it, she kisses him swiftly on the cheek, locking her eyes with his as she whispers. "Thank you." No one has ever made her feel like this with just words. It's silly. He makes her feel like she's in high school all over again.

The kiss takes him by surprise. They have never kissed before. Overwhelmed, he turns to Ariel. "Hey, gorgeous. You…" He takes her little hand and lifts her arm so she can spin, then placing a kiss on her hand. The girl giggles. "_You_ look like a princess."

The girl answers him as forward as she can before running to meet her classmates. "I know."

"Oh my god, she totally got that from you," Stiles mutters, turning to Lydia and laughing. "Wasn't your mom coming?"

Natalie also took a liking of Stiles instantly. After first meeting him a few weeks ago, she wouldn't shut up about him either just like Ariel. And Lydia. A little like Lydia too, yes. _A little_. "Yeah, she's in the car. I'm gonna go help her. I just came to bring Ariel inside first, she was in a rush," she chuckles. Placing a not-so-subtle hand on her lower back, Stiles leads Lydia outside and they walk together, meeting Natalie in the driveway.

"Stiles, honey, it's nice to see you again." Natalie hugs him briefly, smiling at Lydia above his shoulder. "So, a little help?"

The three of them walk back to the house with loaded arms. Lydia carries four gift bags and Stiles helps Natalie carrying some desserts and homemade snacks that she prepared for dinner, along with one of Ariel's old baby bags with a few things for the girls. They planned on staying late, as Stiles had suggested. Already inside, they placed the dishes on the counter. There's food all around; every family brought a little something.

Lydia turns to Stiles. "Where should I put the presents?" she asks, raising her arms a little and shaking the bags.

"Over there," he points to a corner. "Eric will open them after dinner, when we cut the cake." Noticing that there are four bags, Stiles raises an eyebrow. "You're spoiling him, you know?"

Lydia smiles as they walk over to where the presents are. "Well, they are not all for Eric."

"Oh." Stiles' mouth falls to form a perfect 'o' and he blushes, a little embarrassed. "You didn't have to…"

Lydia catches his hand before it finds its place on the back of his neck; she knows he's nervous and he's not the only one. She hands him two of the gift bags. "These are yours. I don't know if you want to leave them here. Eric might think they're for him too." She smiles shyly, breaking the contact.

"Hmm, yeah. He'd probably want them. I'll take them upstairs?" He mutters. He didn't mean for it to sound like a question but he's avoiding babbling so _yeah_.

Her eyes look a little alluring when she answers. Stiles could get lost in her eyes in a second. "No peeking."

He crosses his heart, smiling back. "No peeking, promise."

She giggles and turns away, hiding her blush. "I'll go find Eric."

She looks for her mom in Stiles' living room to find her talking to an older man, probably her mother's age. She approaches them, taking a better look at him.

"Lydia Martin, is that you?"

She smiles and hugs him. He still looks just like she remembers him and it's been years. "Mr. Argent, it's good to see you."

"Well, haven't you grown more beautiful, just like your mother. And please call me Chris, we're old enough now."

Lydia smiles in return. "You're not so bad yourself. You've aged nicely," she says laughing, trying to get the man's attention because her mom was blushing on his compliment. They might have had a thing back in the day, or at least Lydia and Allison suspected as much then.

"I might have to see you two more often. There's a little red missing in my life…" he chuckles, teasing.

"Oh, just make the plans, Chris. Mom comes to visit every now and then." At that, Natalie elbows Lydia almost insensibly and Lydia turns to her. "Have you found Eric yet?"

Natalie nods, but Chris speaks before she can. "He's in the backyard, playing with the others. And Lydia, your Ariel is beautiful. You did good." He places a hand on her arm, squeezing lightly. She knows Allison told him about Jackson and Ariel when the brunette first mentioned to her dad that Lydia was in Beacon Hills.

Lydia smiles genuinely. "Thank you. And it's really good seeing you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find the birthday boy. I'll meet you later," she tells her mom, leaving her and Allison's dad by themselves again.

Like Chris said, the kids - Eric and Ariel among them - are playing on Stiles' backyard, fully decorated for the party with colorful balloons and banners everywhere. She gets closer to a very excited young man.

"Eric, honey?"

The boy turns around and makes his way towards her, Ariel following right behind him. "Lydia!"

She hugs him and kisses his hair. "Happy birthday, sweetie."

The boy cracks a smile. "Thank you." Looking down at one of his hands, he brings it up, spreading his little fingers. "I'm five now."

"I know, you're so big." She messes with his hair, he likes it. "Go on and play with your friends." She turns to Ariel. "I'll be inside if you need anything, okay?"

Lydia makes her way back inside the house but stops by the kitchen door. She turns around and leans on the door frame for a minute, her left shoulder touching the wood as she watches the kids. Ariel is running around, flushed and smiling and laughing and talking like she's never been before. Not before Beacon Hills. Lydia gets a little teary at the sight of her daughter, suddenly holding her breath when someone behind her murmurs in her ear.

"What are you doing?"

She doesn't need to turn around to know it's Stiles, but she still does it. He's right behind her but not touching her, his left arm supporting him above her on the door frame as well. She smiles and bites her lip. It takes every ounce of strength she has to not look down. The way he's stretched right now, she knows she'll find skin showing on his waist where his shirt lifted a little and _god_, she knows she'll stop thinking properly in an instant and _damn, he's close_.

She turns to the yard again, hiding behind her hair. "Just watching Ariel." She pauses and they stay in silence for a while, not moving. She's not sure if she wants to make the question or how to put it into words. Ever since they moved, Lydia found herself quite often asking herself questions she can't find the answer to, and they are not bad questions, just unfamiliar, and she's not really sure what to do with them. It's confusing and a little annoying. She glances up at him behind her shoulder. "She's happy, right?"

Stiles looks back at her puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Ariel. I mean, she was happy before. But moving here was a good thing, right?"

His heart just sunk a little in his chest. He gets a little closer to her. "Lydia, what are you talking about?" he murmurs, swallowing hard at the thought. "You're not planning on leaving, are you?"

"What?" Her eyes widen and for a second Lydia looks panicked, practically mirroring his expression as she turns around to face him. "No, Stiles, of course not. That's not what I meant. God, no. Trust me, we're not going anywhere."

Stiles lets out a shaky breath. "Okay, good," he whispers. They are too close; Stiles can almost feel her breathing on his skin, but neither of them moves. Clearing his throat, he continues, his voice low. "Now don't say things like that again. You scared the shit out of me for a second." They both chuckle nervously, tension dissipating lightly. "I mean, I don't know what I'd do without her. I can't live without a redhead in my life now…"

Stiles starts mumbling and she laughs. He follows and she purses her lips. Turning around again to see her little girl, Lydia leans on the door frame as before but now touching him, even if just barely. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just… I've never seen her so free, you know? Like it's easy for her. I don't think we've ever been this comfortable around anyone. It's just new, I guess…"

"For what it's worth, I think she's happy, Lyds." He started to use her nickname a few weeks ago. Until then, Allison was the only one calling her that. Now, she wants nothing but to hear him say her name. It's addictive, the way he sounds when he says it. Definitely a turn-on. "Are you?"

She gives him her most honest smile. "Yes, Stiles. Yes, I am."

He takes her hand and they head back inside and mingle.

xxxxxxxxxx

Allison has been ecstatic all afternoon. The brunette, just like Lydia, found their parents talking and now she won't stop trying to make plans with Lydia to get them together.

"Ally, I swear. You need to stop playing matchmaker." They are sitting in the kitchen while Allison is feeding Claudia. "I already told your dad to make plans. I'm sure he won't pass it up." Allison laughs. "My mom might kill me, though," Lydia joins her between chuckles until Allison stops abruptly. "What?" Lydia asks, confused.

Following Allison's line of sight, Lydia turns around to find her mom standing behind her. "Why would I kill you, Lydia?" Natalie asks, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Did you do something?"

The redhead looks up innocently and smiles. "Not yet." Allison starts laughing again.

"Now look at you two, grown women. You should know better," Natalie scolds playfully. She's trying to look tough but she's smiling too.

Allison answers. "And maybe we do." They all laugh.

"Can we talk about Lydia now? I don't want to embarrass myself any further." Natalie has been dying to talk to someone else about it. And of course she's also changing the subject because she might have actually been flirting with Chris earlier.

"Oh no, no. No talking about me." Lydia laughs as she gets up from her chair quickly, escaping her mother's grip. "I'll just go do something real quick," she says, starting to move away from the girls in order to stop the inquiry she knows it's coming.

"What, look for Stiles?"

_Shit_. Lydia stops on her tracks and turns around again. Her mom is grinning and Allison is having a hard time trying not to let Claudia fall from her lap with all the effort it's taking her not to burst out laughing. Lydia walks back to them. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Natalie hasn't played this game with Lydia since she was a teenager. She wants to have her fun. "It's just that you and Stiles have been spending a lot of time together…"

"No, we haven't."

"Uh yes, you have," Allison interjects. Lydia raises an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe not a lot, but _some_ time. You know you have, Lydia."

"So what?"

"Can I say something, sweetie? And please don't take it the wrong way?" Lydia just stares at her mom, waiting for her to continue. "Sometimes you two look like a couple."

Lydia is a little surprised at that. "No, we don't."

"You kind of do, Lyds." The way Allison says it breaks it to Lydia. She's not messing with her; she just made a statement.

Lydia blushes. "We do?"

"Yeah, I mean… I guess you guys don't really notice, but you act like it sometimes. Nothing major, really, but if I didn't know you and saw you together, I'd totally say you were a couple."

Lydia is a little alarmed now. "Really?"

"Honey, it's not a bad thing, okay?" Natalie worries about her daughter sometimes. Sure, Jackson might have ruined her life, but she has Ariel and her family, which just got immensely larger since she moved here. Lydia should be able to move on. "He's a nice guy, right?" Natalie asks, looking at Allison.

"The best. I've been telling her that since her first day here." Allison smiles, grabbing Lydia's hand.

The girls turn to the door abruptly when Stiles enters the room, ceasing the conversation. "Sorry for interrupting. Allison, maybe we should get everyone together for dinner? The kids are getting a little impatient…" he says, his hand scratching the back of his neck. He's been playing with the kids ever since his talk with Lydia.

"Sure. Lyds, can you…"

"Sure." Allison hands Claudia to the strawberry blonde, who sits on her chair again, now with the baby on her lap.

Allison quickly leads Stiles away from the kitchen, leaving Lydia to feed Claudia the rest of her yogurt. Natalie rests a hand on Lydia's cheek.

"It will be fine, honey. Everything is going to be alright."

xxxxxxxxxx

After dinner and singing "Happy Birthday" (which ended with Ariel giving Eric a kiss on the cheek and everyone dying over all the cuteness) and cutting the cake, everyone gathers in the living room for the presents. The boy is delirious. Among other things, Eric got a pirate ship playset from the Hales, a pirate costume from Chris that matches a pirate chest for his toys from John and Melissa, a whistle from Coach (Scott lost a bet to Coach, so that's his fault) and a lacrosse set for kids from Liam and Mason. Isaac, Cora, the twins and Danny got him a 3ft tall inflatable dinosaur for his bedroom and Scott and Allison got him his first bike with training wheels. Stiles promised the boy a tent so they could sleep together when they '_went on adventures'_, so that's what he gave him. Of course with autumn already settled and winter on its way, they would have to camp inside, but still.

The only presents left are Lydia and Ariel's. Lydia hands Eric one bag at a time. He opens the first one eagerly.

"What is it?" He says, finding two flashlights inside. She helps him put on the batteries on and turns one of the flashlights on. The boy giggles loudly.

"See?" She points one of the flashlights to the nearest wall. "They're projectors. Now you can see dinosaurs…" She turns that one off and turns on the second flashlight just after. "… and space anywhere you want." She turns that one off too. "And anytime you click here," she shows him the button, "the image changes." She demonstrates and gives them back to boy, who starts playing with them excited. "But this, this is what you're gonna love." She hands him the second bag and her heart melts when she sees his cute brown eyes widening in realization and looking in awe inside the bag.

"What is it, buddy?" Stiles takes a peek. "No way."

Stiles looks as delirious as his nephew when the boy brings out a box containing a pair of walkie-talkies and starts opening it. Everyone laughs. They know he'll be using them non-stop, he barely shuts up as it is. "That's for your _'adventures'_ with Stiles, Eric." She recalls her conversation with Allison and her mother. Lydia knew about the tent, so she got Eric something she knew he could use to play with his uncle on their sleepovers. It's not a big deal, right? "Do you like it?"

The boy just nods. "I don't think he's able to form words right now," Stiles says smiling. "Thanks, Lyds." She bites her lower lip and smiles back.

xxxxxxxxxx

Soon after, everyone leaves except for the pack. Most of the kids are close to passing out, so almost every ten minutes there's a parent heading upstairs to put one of the kids to bed, just until midnight. Stiles, Isaac and Cora have been tiring the last ones in the living room and upstairs Danny and the twins are checking on the ones who are already asleep.

The other adults are in the kitchen cleaning everything up and preparing leftovers to take home when Stiles comes in carrying a sleepy Ariel, her head resting on his shoulder and her arms holding on to him. Lydia might be a little jealous of that.

"Lyds, I think she's out."

The little girl whines in protest, but she's too fatigued to even open her eyes.

Lydia smiles and gets closer to them. "Hey, come here…" Stiles gives her Ariel and they touch for a second longer than necessary. Lydia has to force herself to break his gaze. She's probably red and everyone is watching them. "Mom, can you help me upstairs?"

On Stiles' room, they change Ariel into her pjs and put her to bed next to Charlotte and Eric, who are already out. Lydia can't escape her mom when she comments "So, matching presents, uh?"

xxxxxxxxxx

The adults share a quick drink with Stiles and then everyone else starts leaving. After midnight, the only ones left at the house are the Argents, the Martins and Stiles. Natalie left with Chris, who offered her a ride, Scott and Allison have been in one of the rooms for a while and Lydia just checked on the kids. Eric and Ariel were completely worn-out, fast asleep on Stiles' bed. Lydia is walking down the stairs when she catches a glimpse of Stiles sitting on the ground in the middle of his living room. His back is leaning back against the couch and Claudia is resting on his chest. _Well, that's a vision_. Hearing her footsteps, Stiles looks back at Lydia and laughs, his voice low not to wake up the baby.

"I think you lost 5 inches on the way down."

She sits on the ground beside him but facing opposite, her back leaning on his coffee table as her feet rest close to the couch. They are close enough that her right leg will touch his arm if he moves.

Lydia slaps his arm playfully. "Shut up. My feet were killing me." Upstairs, she had taken off her heels and changed to flats. She brought not only Ariel's pjs but clothes for herself, too, just in case. She didn't have it in her heart to wake Ariel up now and honestly she really didn't want to leave so she had asked Stiles if he would mind if they stayed the night. He, of course, said no. "You know they are probably going at it upstairs, right?" she remarks with a smirk.

"Scott and Allison?" He smiles. "Oh, they are."

A little shock adorns her features. "And you don't mind?"

Stiles shrugs his shoulders. "It's a little weird, but not really. They are always tired and they work a lot. And this little nugget" he strokes Claudia's cheek "has been giving them some rough nights, sometimes. They just need a little time for themselves. I'm totally okay with babysitting and they are already here. I'm not gonna send them home to have sex and then come back to pick up their kids."

Lydia looks at him with admiration. She has never met anyone quite like him. "You really are a good guy, aren't you?" she whispers.

His cheeks quickly turn rosy and he looks down at the baby to distract himself. Lydia always knows what to say to make him nervous. "I try to be. I mean, I'm no hero or anything, at all. That spare bedroom is for them anyways, for when they come over. And they never make a sound, so I just pretend they are not even here." He chuckles, trying to change the subject.

"They really don't, do they?" She noticed. If she hadn't seen their flushed faces when they went upstairs almost running and obviously assumed they were going to have sex, it wouldn't even have crossed her mind.

"Now _that_'s totally weird. I don't know how they do it. I mean, I'm not loud or anything, but it's not normal that two people can be that quiet. I've never heard a moan, can you believe it? Or heard them talk. How even…"

He's mumbling again, but she cuts him out, blushing when their eyes meet. "And swearing, _oh god_…" she murmurs with a pleading tone in her voice, even if without meaning to, and _that_ certainly makes both of them feel something inside them that they haven't felt in a while. "I do like swearing." They both laugh.

Claudia moves a little on his chest and they fall silent. Stiles places his hand on the girl's back and gently rubs up and down, soothing her.

After a while, Lydia speaks again. "How come you're so good with kids?"

"I don't know. We just get along."

"You don't just get along, Stiles. You're a natural, they all love you."

"Hey. Don't you start complimenting me. It might get to my head," he tell her smiling.

"I mean it. Ariel won't stop talking about you."

He looks at Lydia genuinely amazed. "Really?"

"Yeah. I think she might have a crush on you," she teases.

"I'm totally into redheads, but I think she's a little out of my league." He chuckles out of nervousness, edgy again. He gets up slowly and goes rest Claudia on her stroller, taking more time than he actually has to to escape Lydia's attention. Their relationship is too hard to define and he finds himself doubting everything about them often.

"Well, there are more redheads, so I think you'll do fine." Totally not what she wanted to say, but she's very anxious about it too. They both know there's something here, they just don't really know what to do about it.

His back is still facing her when he speaks again. "Has he asked you out again?"

Lydia is a little surprised that Stiles would ask that. She hadn't noticed that he was aware that Aiden kept asking her out. "Yes." The twin has asked her out at least once every week since they met. And he was really forward about it too. The first time he asked her was right on her first day with them, at the park, and he just kept trying after that. He had asked her out again today just before the cake, a few hours ago. "He's persistent, to say the least," she mutters, not sure of what's going through Stiles' mind.

He chances a look at her, glancing over his shoulder briefly. His muscles are tense. "What did you tell him?"

"The same thing I've been telling him since the first time he asked." Lydia gets up and walks towards Stiles, stopping halfway. Here goes nothing. "That I'm new here. That my life is a little more complicated than it seems. And that I have a little girl to think about."

Stiles doesn't move, his eyes trained on the baby before him. "Why does he keep pushing it, then?"

"He keeps saying that with my every week being here, there will be a time when I can't use the _'I'm new here'_ card. He somehow finds it justifiable to keep asking even when I keep saying no."

His head falls to his chest and his voice his low, but he laughs softly. "See? I'm already two redheads short.".

Lydia gets closer to him. "Stiles, that's _his_ answer."

That gets his attention. He slowly turns around. "What?"

"That's what I told _him_."

"And it doesn't make it any less true." _What is she saying?_ "I mean, you've only been here for what? Almost two months now, right? And you do have Ariel…"

"Stiles…"

She tries to interrupt him but he continues. "… and she's still so young. And about your past, it's totally okay that we haven't talked about it yet. It's not like I'm eager to talk about mine either, so…"

"Stiles!"

"What?"

"Ask me."

He looks baffled. "A- Ask you what?"

She takes another step closer. "Ask me out."

"Lydia…"

"Stiles, just do it."

Unable to do anything else, he scratches his neck; his skin is tingling everywhere. "Are you… Are you giving me permission to ask you out?"

She takes the last step and chuckles. "Yes, Stiles." It terrifies her as much as it terrifies him.

"But you do have Ariel, and maybe you really haven't been here long enough…"

"Stiles…" She finds his hands and brings them to hers and just stares as their fingers begin to move on their own accord, getting to know every bit of skin automatically.

The only two other times he has felt so nervous are buried in his past, in moments he doesn't want to relive and yet, here he is again, almost fighting back a panic attack. Still, her touch somehow soothes his nerves and he finds enough strength to whisper. "Lyds, would you like to go out with me?"

She nods and lets her eyes meet his. "Yes. Yes, I would." On her tiptoes, she plants a kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday, Stiles."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Stiles smiles softly as he looks down at his hands, still in hers. His heart is racing and his mind is unstoppable. He focuses on his breathing hoping to keep it steady, knowing she's looking at him, studying him. He lets out a sigh. "So, a date, uh?" She nods, smiling. He chuckles. "I might need to loosen up a bit for this if we're gonna talk about things… Wanna open one of Coach's bottles?" Coach gave him two bottles of some very fine (according to him) wine for Stiles' birthday. Stiles raises an eyebrow amused, smiling back at the strawberry blonde.

"Sure." She grabs one of his hands. "Come on."

They glance at Claudia - who's asleep in her stroller - as Lydia leads him to the kitchen. While Stiles opens one of the bottles, Lydia finds two wine glasses.

"Chocolate?" She asks, waving a big dark chocolate bar that was on the kitchen table, a treat from Carter to Stiles.

"Chocolate with wine?" He looks at her in disbelief.

"You've never tried it?" He shakes his head and they both laugh. "You'll see. It's so good and…"

She stops talking abruptly as soon as she hears Allison's voice coming from the kitchen door. "What are you two laughing about?"

Even though they stopped laughing, they are both still smiling. "Just gathering some snacks," Lydia replies nonchalantly, waving the chocolate bar again.

Allison suppresses a laugh. "It's past one in the morning."

Stiles glances at Lydia and smiles, unable to hide his happiness. "We're not tired yet."

"Okay…" Allison drags the word but doesn't press the matter. "Stiles, would you mind if we stayed? I know it's late, sorry…"

"Of course. Claudia fell asleep like twenty minutes ago."

Allison walks towards them and hugs him. "Ugh, I love you. I'll take her upstairs."

Lydia smiles. Her heart warms a little more every time she sees this devotion, affection. She just can't get enough of how much all the family members love and trust each other. "Did you check on the kids on your way down?"

"Yes. Totally out." Allison moves from Stiles to Lydia, hugging her too and then backing away. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

After she leaves and they head back to the living room, Lydia goes sit on the same spot on the floor as before and Stiles dims down the lights, then making his way in her direction.

Lydia laughs, a smirk spreading across her features. "Setting the mood?"

Stiles stops walking and starts babbling. "W-What? No! I mean, it's late so I figured… I wasn't implying anything, I swear. Do you want me to…"

"Stiles," she pats the floor beside her and he sits in the same position as before, facing her, definitely closer now, one's leg touching the other's arm. "I was joking." She bites her lower lip before continuing speaking, her tone a little lower now. "You're nervous and I'm nervous, okay? So," she hands him one of the glasses, "let's just leave it aside alright?"

He smiles and they taste the wine, taking their time to let the flavor sink in. It's warm and fruity, not too strong.

"Shit, this is delicious," Lydia lets out while breaking the chocolate bar into little pieces, giving a few to Stiles. She doesn't even give him time to say anything before she eats a piece of chocolate and sips her wine again. He's watching her amused as she savors intently, her eyes closed. She actually moans. "Oh god, this is so good…"

He almost spits his wine. "Fuck, Lyds!" She starts laughing and he shushes her, not able to stop the smile forming on his lips. "I can leave you alone with the wine, if you want," he mutters, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Lydia slaps his arm and gives him a glare, not holding the face she's pulling for long. She can't seem to stop smiling. "Shut up."

He looks at her for a moment, his fingers fidgeting on the glass. "You look beautiful when you smile, did you know?" Lydia stops and stares at him meticulously, reading him, even blushing a little at his words. "I mean, you're always beautiful but there's just something when you smile… I don't know, I think it's your eyes. It's like they lit up. It makes you look younger, even, more carefree. It's gorgeous. You're gorgeous." He lets it out like a confession, his cheeks burning when he stops talking, not that he cares. Her lips draw a small smile.

They stay in silence for a little while, just eating and drinking, occasionally looking at the other. They only pour a little more wine on their glasses, choosing to leave half the bottle for later. When they finish, they put their glasses on his coffee table and they adjust on their spot, sitting more comfortably, now further relaxed.

"Thank you," she says, biting on her lip again and reaching for his hand. "For the compliment. I don't think anyone has ever said such nice things and actually meant it. Not like you, anyway."

He is a little surprised. He assumed that Lydia being Lydia, she'd be complimented all the time. _She's a freaking goddess walking on Earth_. That's actually one of the things that make him nervous about her. She's way out of his league and yet here she is, a girl who came into his life leaving him breathless and taking a place inside his heart so easily that it terrified him. "If no other guy ever told you that, then they're dicks." He laces their fingers together and looks down at their hands, mesmerized. He glances up at her to find Lydia doing the same thing. "You, Lydia Martin, are amazing. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And if I'm the one who gets to tell you that, then I'm glad."

He smiles shyly and she smiles back, her eyes speaking for her, shining. He cracks a smile. "Can I ask you something?" He nods. "Why haven't you asked me out before? I mean, there's something here, right?"

He chuckles. "Yeah, I guess so. I- Hm, I don't know. I meant it before. It's not so much like you haven't been here long. I'm okay with that as long as you don't go anywhere." He smiles and she squeezes his hand softly, enticing him to keep going. "What about Ariel? I know she hasn't met her dad, I wouldn't want to confuse her or make things harder for her, you know…"

"We'll take it slow. We don't have to go on a date right away. We can spend some more time together first, just the two of us. Ariel idolizes you. And it is a little scary how much she depends on you sometimes or on anyone else really, but I think that's a good thing. She's so much better since we moved here…"

"Not just her. Eric too, he was always so shy. Now they are so open and honest and happy… We should be kids, it'd be so much easier." They laugh and Stiles takes a moment before continuing. "I love her. Ariel. It just works between us; I don't know how to explain it. I just don't want to break her little heart. I'd be devastated."

He said it so honorably that Lydia's heart falters and she wants nothing but to kiss him senseless. Instead, she brings their laced fingers up and kisses the palm of his hand. "I think we can make it work, Stiles. I really do. I might be a little broken and you might be a little broken, but we can do it." She smiles reassuringly.

He kisses her palm too. "Good. Which brings us to reason number three, our infamous past…"

"We can talk about it. We'll have to, eventually, so we might as well do it now, I guess…"

He considers it for a brief moment. She's right, of course. "It's as good a moment as any, so yeah, okay." He sits straighter on his spot and clears his throat. "So you probably heard about the accident, right?"

Lydia nods. "Just bits and pieces. They told me it was a couple years ago and that you got injured and it was bad. No one told me much else aside from that."

"It wasn't just bad." He pauses. "Someone died, a friend of mine. Her name was Heather." Stiles gulps and his voice cracks a little. "We'd known each other since we were three; she was one of my best friends. She'd just had this nasty breakup the week before, so I made her get out of the house to get some lunch and she was finally starting to smile again…" Another pause. "When I was driving her home afterwards, we were hit by a truck. Drunk driver. It hit on her side of my Jeep. She never stood a chance, died instantly. I managed to get out with only a few broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a small gash on my forehead. She was 24."

He stops talking and a tear rolls down his face. Lydia doesn't know what to say so she moves a little closer and wipes away the tear. "I'm so sorry, Stiles," she whispers.

"It's okay." His smile doesn't reach his eyes. "It was hard, though, in the beginning. I blamed myself, you know? I was the one who had convinced her to get out of the house. If I hadn't, maybe she'd still be here… And I'm aware that it wasn't my fault, I couldn't have known. But it felt like it; I didn't get out of my house for weeks. Everyone was worried about me. Me and Heather were like me and Scott, sort of a package deal." He chuckles softly. "We actually dated for a while when we were 23. We were both single, so we gave it a try. We were great together, but it just wasn't love. I mean, I loved her and she loved me, but it wasn't romance, that burning passion we all seek. I haven't been with anyone since. Not for lack of opportunities, I just don't feel like investing in it somehow, not since the accident." He exhales slowly, closing his eyes briefly, another tear escaping. "I lost my mom too. I'm scared of letting someone in only to lose them," he confesses.

She doesn't notice the tear that escapes her own eye until Stiles wipes it away. He's a good guy, probably the best she has ever met. He shouldn't have to deal with such fucked up things. She just wants his pain to go away. Lydia changes positions and sits beside him, now with her back to the couch as well, leaning on his chest. He lifts his arm and places it around her shoulders and her head falls to rest on his shoulder, her hand searching for his. She speaks quietly. "I don't know the future and I can't make you promises that I don't know if I can keep, but I can tell you that I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay." She looks up at him smiling and he kisses her forehead.

He smiles back. "I just turned 27. It's about time to move on. And I don't think me and you can do much about it anyways. I might already be in too deep…"

She laughs. "That's a good thing, it makes two of us."

"Good. Unrequited love is a bitch," he remarks. He's about to start laughing but stops when he realizes what he said. Before he can start babbling again, though, Lydia stops him.

"I got it." She's blushing a little. She knows it was just an expression, but still… She chooses to return to the subject. "Claudia was your mother's name, right?" He nods. "Why did Scott and Allison named their daughter after her? I mean, I'm assuming that's what they did. Claudia is not a common name…"

"You really don't know what you got yourself into here." He chuckles. "Our family, I mean. We are all a little dysfunctional."

"I've been handling it fine so far, Stiles. I don't think that's a problem."

"Hm yeah, Claudia was named after my mom. She passed away when I was eleven, a robbery gone wrong. Scott blamed himself for that one."

"How come?"

"I was sick when it happened. Some weird flu was going around town and a few other kids were sick too. I stayed home for a few days with my mom; she got a few days off from work to stay with me. And then Scott got it too. Melissa was already raising Scott by herself by then and she couldn't leave her job to stay with him, so my mom took care of us both while Melissa was working. Then one day I was just really tired and couldn't even get out of the bed but Scott kept vomiting, so my mom had to run to the ER with him while I stayed home asleep. After they left the hospital, she went to a drugstore to get his prescriptions and that's when it happened. Gunshot to the chest. Scott was in the car. By the time the EMT's arrived, there was nothing they could do. They were the ones to find him; he was in shock curled up on his seat, couldn't say a word. I woke up that afternoon to my dad coming home looking frantically for me. It was terrifying." Stiles takes a moment to slow his breathing. "Scott didn't talk to me for a long time. He felt like he had taken something from me, like it was his fault that she went there. We only reconnected a few years later. I had to make him promise that he wouldn't leave me again."

"And he didn't."

"And he didn't. When he found out that Allison was pregnant for the first time, we promised each other our firstborns, like as godsons, you know. He really wanted the baby to be a girl, but that only happened the second time around so I'm her godfather too. When he learned that it was a girl, he asked for my permission to name her Claudia. I always thought I'd name one of my daughters after my mom, but I knew that Scott needed that. It was his own way to redeem himself, I think. I talked to my dad and we agreed to let him. Scott's my brother, there's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

_Could you just get any more perfect?_ Lydia purses her lips. "Wait. _One_ of your daughters?" She laughs. "How many kids do you want to have?"

"A whole team," he beams, laughing when he sees her surprised face. "What? I might be 27 and single, but I'm not celibate. I mean, lately yes, I guess, but I still have time. It's not such a longshot. Just imagine, lots of little Stiles running around…." he trails off.

The way his chest rises and falls as he laughs beneath her feels so good to Lydia that she doesn't want to move, ever. She laughs too. "God, I can barely handle you."

"What about you? Did you just want Ariel or do you want more kids?"

"I haven't given it much thought. Ariel wasn't planned and with the whole Jackson thing, at least with him I certainly did not expect a child. And I haven't been with anyone since so I haven't really thought about it. But I'd like to have more kids, yes, with the right person." They both blush hard when they look at each other smiling. Lydia has to force herself to break the gaze. "All these babies you guys have around here are calling my name and Ariel keeps telling me that babies are cute… I might be a little freaked out, if I'm being honest." She laughs nervously. "But I wouldn't trade any of this. The way you all made us feel like we belonged here all along it's ineffable."

"I guess Allison was right. You are family," he says, playing with her hair.

"Don't let her hear you say that."

"I'm actually a little surprised that she didn't say anything just now when she found us in the kitchen. She's been trying to set me up with you since day one."

"I know, right? I hate that she's always right about these things." Lydia is starting to think that his laugh is one of the most appealing sounds she has ever heard.

"I'm glad she was right, though, whatever this is."

Lydia smiles and squeezes his hand. "I guess there's only Jackson left to talk about…" Stiles nods encouragingly, listening attentive. "I met Allison on my first year of college and Jackson on the beginning of my second year. We went out one night and suddenly I was his girlfriend. Things were rushed with us ever since the beginning. I guess at first I thought I liked him and that he liked me back, but it didn't take long for me to see him for what he really was. Allison would warn me about him but I wouldn't listen. Things got out of control soon enough. He yelled all the time and things started to get violent. He'd just pick something up and throw it or smash it against a wall or to the ground and then he'd say that he was sorry. It was impossible to keep up to his moods, let alone say anything back; it'd just make it worse." Lydia's tone falls to a mere whisper. "The day that I answered one of his attacks was when…"

Stiles strokes her cheek softly. "…was when he hit you." His voice comes out unsteady, his breathing hurried. She gulps embarrassed and lowers her head, but he brings her chin up and meets her gaze. "Nothing to be ashamed of. No one knows what you went through but you."

The more he talks, the more she wants to kiss him. The way Stiles speaks to her it's disconcerting. Lydia nods. "First it was a slap, but then he'd push me or hit me with something. Eventually he found out that my parents were struggling financially and started threatening me and them too. I didn't know what to do and I wouldn't listen to Allison. I was scared out of my mind. After Allison left to come home, Jackson forced me to marry him and then he left me. Sent me the divorce papers to sign over the mail. I never found out why he wanted to marry me in the first place, but he probably left me for someone else. I knew that he cheated on me, but I never had the strength to say anything. I couldn't bring myself to act. Then I found out about Ariel and tried to do what I thought was the right thing at the time. A father should know about her daughter. He trashed the place when I told him and I left right after, went to live with my mom. I never saw him again. I don't even know what I was thinking. It scares the shit out of me knowing that he could have said he would stay for Ariel. What would I have done then?"

Stiles notices that Lydia looks a little panicked, comprehensibly, so he hugs her tight. They don't move for a while until Stiles speaks again, his voice coming out weak. "How bad was it?"

Lydia worries her lower lip, holding her breath. She lets go of Stiles and starts standing up.

"Shit. Lydia, I'm sorry," he murmurs, afraid of having said something wrong. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's okay…"

Lydia holds out her hand for him. She could tell him or she could show him. "Get up. I have to show you something."

Confused, Stiles reluctantly takes her hand and follows her to the bathroom. Once inside, she locks the door behind them and goes stand in front of the mirror facing it, her back to him. She moves her hair to the side as Stiles walks towards her.

"I'm serious, Lydia, you don't have to…"

"Stiles, it's okay." She looks at him through the mirror, her tone serious. She only ever showed _them_ to her mom. "Can you unzip it, please?"

He returns the gaze and doesn't move until she nods, making sure this is what she wants. Stiles unzips her dress all the way from her neck to her lower back and Lydia slips out of it. She studies his expression through the mirror while he does so, as he watches her body, and that's when she knows he's actually perfect. Lydia Martin is standing in front of him only in her underwear and he chooses to come closer and outline her scars with his fingers, brushing them kindly; the ones in sight, at least. They are just a shade lighter than her skin tone and most of them are thin, yet they seem like they're glowing, drawing his attention to them.

"This one was from when he shoved me against a shelf." She points to the one he's currently paying attention to, on the back of her right shoulder. "I hit the edge. I'm just glad it wasn't my neck." Stiles can't form words. "And this one," she points to a little mark behind her right ear, one that Stiles had missed until then, "was from when he had a piece of broken glass on his hand. That happened often. That's how I got most of them."

She keeps guiding him through them. The one on her stomach and the one on her left knee and the biggest one on her left flank. That one had required her to stay in the hospital for two days. Stiles looks back at her blankly, speechless. Lydia can barely talk with him looking at her like that, like he's broken, damaged. "There are a few more, smaller ones, but I'm not gonna fully undress for you, not today," she mutters, forcing herself to smile to ease his discomfort and trying to lighten the mood, but she knows she said the wrong thing when Stiles looks at her even more concerned, as if that's possible.

"Lydia, did he-" Stiles barely has the strength to let out the words, his hands shaking as he hands Lydia her dress back. "Did he ever force you to-"

She grabs the dress and lowers her head, trying to distract herself by dressing up again. She shakes her head slowly, still not looking at Stiles. "No, not force me. But I know that there were times he probably wouldn't take _'no'_ for an answer, even if that's what I wanted to say, so I complied. It hurt less when I didn't fight him back…" Her voice breaks at the end and she makes herself look at Stiles. He's crying silently and she can't bear it. She starts crying too.

He tries his best not to let it get to him, rage building up inside him at her admissions. But Lydia grounds him, throwing her arms around his waist and crying into his chest. He holds her as close as he can. She can barely hear his murmurs. "You're safe now," he whispers. She holds onto him so fiercely that she's afraid she might be hurting him. "I won't let anything happen to you. Both of you. None of us will."

They don't move again until their skin is stained with dry tears and they feel like they can breathe again. She only lets go of him for long enough for him to zip her dress up again and lead her to the living room. They lie down on the couch and curl up to one another, tired, unable to speak anymore.

They kiss briefly before falling asleep.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Lydia…"

The redhead tries to open her eyes but she's too comfortable, so she doesn't really make much of an effort. Her body starts shaking, someone obviously trying to wake her up.

"Lydia, come on. Ariel's up."

There's reality for you. Lydia's head hurts a bit and she feels a little tired, but she opens her eyes nonetheless and sits up. Allison is behind the couch and was gently nudging her arm, whispering.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Ariel and Eric are up. Maybe you should go upstairs and check on her…" the brunette offers with a smile.

Lydia looks at Stiles, fast asleep beside her. She nods at Allison and tries to get up from the couch as graciously as she can without waking him up. "What time is it?"

"A little past seven. Scott is upstairs with them." Allison notices that her friend looks worn-out, maybe even a bit sad. She wraps her arm around Lydia's frame as soon as the girl is at her side. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Lydia purses her lips and glances over at the couch, then back at Allison. "We're okay."

Allison smiles and leads her upstairs.

xxxxxxxxxx

Almost half an hour later, everyone has changed clothes and beds are made, rooms tidied. Already downstairs, the kids sprint to the couch and start jumping on top of it, giggling and waking up Stiles.

"What's this?" he screams, fully aware of their presence. "I'm being attacked," he shouts. He laughs as he gets up, starting to chase them through the living room. When he catches both Eric and Ariel, Stiles gets down on his knees and tickles them until they are almost out of breath. The grown-ups are just watching the scene unfold in the back.

"Happy birthday, uncle Stiles." He hugs his nephew and they do their handshake, as usual.

Ariel steals a kiss on Stiles' cheek before he has even turned to her. "Happy birthday, Stiles," she enthuses, grinning.

Stiles kisses her forehead. "Good morning to you too," he answers, smiling.

"I want a kiss too," says Allison, holding Claudia in her arms and speaking for the baby.

"I'm the birthday boy, everyone gets a kiss. Give her to me," Stiles mutters happily gesturing towards Claudia, kissing Eric's hair as he gets up from the ground. When he's holding her, Stiles kisses Claudia's cheek and starts babbling to her, walking around the room.

"You guys wanna see some cartoons before breakfast?" Scott asks the kids, picking up the remote and turning on the TV. Eric and Ariel sit on the couch promptly and Scott leaves them to it, patting Stiles on the back as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"Where do you think you're going?" Stiles inquiries, a mischievous grin on his face.

"To make breakfast," Scott replies. "What do you think?"

"Scott, everyone gets a kiss. Come here, buddy." Allison and Lydia start laughing when Stiles walks towards Scott and his best friend backs away, laughing as well, much to the others entertainment.

"Stiles, you're not kissing me," Scott chuckles.

"Stop whining, Scott. You're such a baby. Claudia didn't seem to mind," he says. Stiles manages to corner Scott, who eventually gives in. Stiles kisses his hair like he did with Eric. "There. Now you can go and make me breakfast."

"Stop enjoying this so much!" Scott elbows Stiles in the ribs, not too hard. Stiles breaks out laughing when Scott almost runs to the kitchen, and turns to Allison. "God, he's such a dork."

"I know, I married him," she says, hugging Stiles by the waist. He kisses her too. "I'm gonna help him in the kitchen. Why don't you go change so we can all eat together?"

"Sure. Just give me five minutes, okay?" She nods and takes Claudia with her as she leaves.

Stiles finally turns to Lydia and gets closer, whispering so that the kids can't hear them. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Did you sleep okay?"

She nods. "I did, yes. You?"

"Yeah. I just wish we could have slept a little longer," he says, a small smile escaping his lips.

Lydia places one of her hands over his heart. "We're okay, right?" Stiles nods, one of his hands easily moving to her waist. "So hm… Are we still on? Do you still want to…"

He cuts her off by placing a kiss on her forehead that lasts longer than was certainly necessary. "Yes, I do."

Her smile breaks through and so does his. "Well, go on then. We'll wait for you in the kitchen," she says, patting his chest.

Stiles nods smiling and starts walking upstairs.

xxxxxxxxx

After breakfast they clean up the kitchen and gather together on the living room to give Stiles his presents before they can all go home. As the kids were already asleep at midnight they couldn't give him their presents, so the parents didn't either. Scott and Allison bought him a Star Wars limited edition box set and he almost choked just from looking at it. Stiles was obsessed with Star Wars. His nephew, always so subtle, gave him a pirate themed sleeping bag matching his own for when they go camping.

Stiles sat on one end of the couch with Ariel by his side. Lydia was standing beside him and gave him the bags he had taken upstairs the day before, placing her hand on his shoulder. When he opens the first one, he finds the drawing Ariel made him. It seems to be their clearing, two figures sitting on the ground. One is obviously Ariel and the other is Stiles, a book drawn beside him.

"This is you and this is me," she points out, looking very proud of herself. "I like when you read me stories."

Ariel looks up at him like she means the world and Stiles gets a little teary. He hugs her and kisses her hair, while Lydia squeezes his shoulder. Then he moves on to the second gift bag but Lydia stops him. "There's another present from Ariel," she says, grabbing it from inside the first bag. "She was a little distressed that you knew you were getting a drawing, so she arranged something else." Stiles rips the gift wrap to find a frame with a picture of Ariel. "We took that picture on her first day of school for my mom. Ariel wanted you to have it too."

He looks at Ariel and the girl nods happily. He can't help but smile. "Thank you."

The girl giggles. "Now mommy's present."

Stiles chuckles and gets to it. After unwrapping it, he finds a wooden box and looks expectantly at Lydia before opening it. "It's a wood carving tool set." He opens the box carefully. "30 pieces, different sizes. I know your tools are a little outworn and you're always saying that you need some new ones. You can even carve the lid. Scott helped me pick it."

He's grinning when he looks up at her, placing his hand over hers. "Thanks, Lyds."

xxxxxxxxxx

They do like they planned. They take it easy. They meet for coffee whenever it's Stiles' turn to take Eric to preschool, usually at Derek's coffee shop. Lydia will stay in there pretty much all day working on her laptop, occasionally taking a break to catch up with Derek, or Cora and Isaac when they have the time. Sometimes she'll meet Stiles at the shop when he's working, just staying there talking to him, watching him. On the weekends they meet at Scott and Allison's and just spend time together with them and the kids.

Everyone in the pack knows that something is different but no one says anything. Stiles and Lydia don't seem to mind much anyway. They haven't kissed again since that night aside from the occasional kiss on the cheek or forehead. Touching, however, has been constant. More when they are alone; it's like their hands are linked together. If they are with someone else, their hands will still brush or they'll be always close to the other, sometimes an arm around the other's waist when it's not too suspicious. It's been a little stressful and pleasing at the same time, tension building up every time they meet, their touch always craving more. But they don't want to ruin it, so they take it slow; until Lydia can't take it anymore.

Roughly four weeks after Stiles' birthday, on a Friday night, everyone is together again for Cora's birthday. After some exciting news by the end of the evening from the birthday girl, who just found out that she's pregnant and now has to rush her wedding if she still wants to find a dress, everyone is ecstatic. Until they hear someone crying, that is.

Ariel and Chloe, who Stiles has been playing chase with for almost ten minutes, bumped into each other and fell. You know kids, they'll cry like their lungs out even if it's nothing. Cora gets Chloe and Stiles gets Ariel, sitting the girls on their laps so that they can see their bruises. Their knees are a little scratched but nothing much. Most of the grown-ups leave the room so that the litlle girls won't cry louder with all those eyes on them. While Melissa looks for a first aid kit just to clean their knees and put a band aid on it, Lydia gets closer to Stiles and Ariel.

"I'm so sorry. It was my fault. I was the one running after them…" Stiles keeps apologizing to both Lydia and Derek, looking truthfully upset that the kids got hurt because of him. They keep telling him that it's not his fault, that these things happen, that it's okay.

Eventually her daughter stopped crying and is now sobbing quietly against Stiles' chest while he whispers things in her ear that Lydia can't understand, while he gently brushes the girl's hair out of her face. The girl nods along to Stiles' murmurs and doesn't let go of his hand when Melissa takes care of her knees. When the woman's done, smiling at the little redhead, Stiles kisses her forehead. "All better?" Ariel nods and they stay sitting like that talking by themselves for a little while.

Lydia wasn't aware that she'd started crying behind them, not until Melissa walked up to her and wiped away her fugue tears, leading Lydia to a corner of the room, away from the others before anyone else could see.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asks the redhead.

"I-" She's not even sure. "I don't know. I was just…" She exhales deeply. "I was just watching them really." She motions to Stiles and Ariel. "I didn't even notice I was crying…"

Melissa smiles and strokes her cheek. "You and Stiles, whatever it is that you got going on, maybe it's time to stop holding back and go for it."

Lydia pauses before asking. "How did you know?" she whispers.

"I'm a mother. And I've been putting up with Scott and Stiles for long enough to know when there's something they're not telling me," she chuckles. "My mom used to tell me something when I was a teenager. _'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you do know better, do better.'_ You've been doing your best for your little girl for a while now, Lydia. Do you know better?"

She nods. "I do."

"Then do better." She gives her a reassuring smile like only Melissa can. "Why don't we give you two the room for a minute?"

Lydia nods again and smiles back at the woman. As they walk back to the others, Melissa suggests that the kids go grab their things before leaving, Derek taking Chloe, Melissa taking Ariel on her arms and Cora by the hand, already discussing wedding plans and shutting the door behind them.

Stiles is pacing around the kitchen when he talks again, eyeing Lydia as she walks towards him. He had noticed that she looked a little bothered while talking to Melissa, of course he noticed. "Lydia, are you ok-"

He doesn't have a chance to say anything else, though. Lydia gets on her tiptoes and her lips press against his with no hesitation, her fingers lacing on the back of his neck pulling him down to her. Although surprised, Stiles reacts instantly, their lips moving softly and slowly together, his hands resting on her waist and bringing her closer. She pulls on his bottom lip before breaking the kiss, already smiling.

Their breathing is a bit frantic and Stiles struggles a little to let the words out. "What was that for?"

She catches her breath. "I think it's time, Stiles." Letting their foreheads meet, her lips are brushing his as she talks again, smiling wide. "You can take me on a date now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

When Lydia wakes up at 8 am the next morning, she has to admit that she hasn't felt this genuinely happy in years. She feels good, _hell_ she feels like dancing. Or singing. Maybe both. Lydia is definitely excited. Not wanting to wait anymore, Lydia and Stiles agreed to go on a date the next day, on Saturday night, this very evening.

In her kitchen, she turns on the radio and starts gathering the ingredients to make some pancakes for breakfast, hips moving to the beat of the song. Not five minutes later, Lydia hears her front door unlock and she grins because she knows it's her mom. Natalie had arrived the day before for Cora's birthday and was spending the weekend with the girls, only last night she didn't come home at all. Natalie finds herself blushing when she notices that she just got caught and, seeing that there's no way around that, she joins Lydia in the kitchen.

"Your granddaughter could be up by now, you know?" Lydia asks, bantering.

"Don't make this worse, please. I was hoping you'd sleep in today…"

Lydia smiles. "How did it go with Chris?"

"Faultless, of course. I still know how to play…"

Lydia laughs. "Oh god, no details. I really don't need to know."

Natalie narrows her eyes at her daughter but smiles back. She starts helping Lydia with breakfast. "How was the rest of the party?"

Lydia tries her best to hold back a grin right then. "Hmm about that… Do you have plans for tonight?"

"I don't think so, no. Why?"

Lydia purses her lips together and tilts her head down, blushing slightly. "Stiles and I are going on a date. We were hoping you'd watch Ariel tonight, if you don't mind…." She risks a glance at Natalie and now she smiles bright; her mom had just made her way around the island to hug her.

"Oh honey, of course," Natalie whispers, kissing Lydia's hair as she holds her tight. The air around them becomes electric, both of them suddenly enthusiastic. Natalie grabs her daughter's hands, making Lydia face her completely. "This is terrific. Finally. So, where's he taking you?"

Lydia bites her lower lip. "It's a surprise, he won't tell me." She had asked several times but Stiles was adamant. Lydia lets out a chuckle and looks nervously at her mom, not able to hide her smile anymore. "We're doing this, mom." Natalie can't help but to kiss her girl on the cheek and smile.

They are almost finished with getting breakfast ready when Lydia's cellphone rings. Because Lydia is at the stove, Natalie picks up the phone to find that Stiles is the one calling. Smiling deviously, she takes the call in the living room. "Good morning, Stiles."

Lydia turns around instantly at the mention of his name, trying to listen in on the conversation but she gets nothing, only her mother's cryptic facial expressions as she talks to the man. Eventually, after what seems like an eternity, Natalie hands the phone to Lydia with a smirk.

"Hey."

"Hey, Lyds."

Lydia is not sure which of them sounded more endearing. "Is there a reason for you to be calling so early?" she teases.

"I wanted to check on Ariel, see if she's okay. Her knees, you know…"

Stiles, always so worried with the kids. "Stiles, it was barely a scratch…" She says, rolling her eyes amused.

"I know, but still…" He sighs. "And I kind of wanted to make sure that we are still on for tonight. Your mom already told me she'll take Ariel."

"Oh we're on," she replies with a grin. "Now can you tell me where you're taking me?"

"I'm not telling you, Lyds. Where would be the fun in that?" he mocks.

"I need to know what I'm gonna wear, Stiles…" She can practically hear him roll his eyes.

"You can go naked for all I care…" Lydia bursts out laughing. "Shit, that's not what I meant. You always look gorgeous no matter what you wear, that's all."

"I think I'd rather wear clothes, Stiles." she says, hiding her blush from her mom who's two feet away from her, smirking again. Lydia waves her free hand at Natalie so that she'll go check on Ariel, who should be up by now. When Natalie leaves the kitchen, Lydia turns her attention to Stiles again. "Please, tell me."

"You just can't grasp the concept of a surprise, can you?" He chuckles. "Just put on something nice. Not too fancy, not too casual. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love it."

Lydia worries her lip once more. "I can't wait for tonight," she whispers.

"I know, me too."

"Can I at least know how long we'll be out?" She tries, unsuccessfully, to hide a smirk.

Stiles does the same. "Don't be eager, Ms. Martin…" They laugh. "Is Ariel up already? I wanna talk to her. Wait, did you tell her yet? You know, about tonight?"

"No, not yet… But I think she's up. My mom went to get her. They should be here in a sec."

"I'll wait… So should I pick you up later or are you picking me up? Because I'm not sure if Ariel should see me, you know, picking you up for…"

"I think it's fine, Stiles, you can pick me up." Lydia is beaming when Natalie and Ariel enter the kitchen. "Oh, here she is."

"Great, pass her the phone."

Lydia doesn't need to tell Ariel anything, the girl is already trying to reach for the phone herself. Lydia gives it to her and the little girl runs for the couch where she sits talking to Stiles.

Natalie comes near Lydia again. "So?"

A little unsure, Lydia asks her mom. "Do you think it's okay if he picks me up? I mean, Ariel will be okay with it, right?"

"I think so, yes. But what are you gonna tell her? Because there's no way she'll let you guys leave without wanting to tag along…"

"Oh… I haven't thought of that part. What-"

"Mommy." Ariel calls for her at the kitchen's door, phone in hand, interrupting Lydia and making her blush.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Can Stiles come play today?"

"Oh, I don't k-"

"I got it," Natalie assures Lydia, walking up to Ariel and taking the phone from the girl's hand to talk to Stiles again.

In the meantime, Lydia starts setting up the table and tells Ariel to go wash her hands. When the girl returns, Natalie ends the call and they all sit at the table.

"Is Stiles coming to play?" Ariel asks, thrilled.

Lydia looks expectantly at her mom, as does Ariel. "I invited Stiles to have lunch with us. He'll stay the afternoon," Natalie says, smiling. Ariel claps her hands and starts eating, satisfied with the answer.

Lydia gets closer to her mom and whispers. "But mom, Stiles will have to change before dinner."

"He'll change here, it's fine. We got it all worked out. This way he can play with Ariel, we can all have a good time, and because she'll have her time with him in the afternoon, she will probably be more inclined to forgive you for spending the night away with him."

Lydia blushes and just nods. She can't help the nerves that start crawling at her skin.

xxxxxxxxxx

Stiles arrives at noon. Lydia opens the door for him and, once he's inside, gets on her tiptoes to kiss him but Stiles stops her, placing his free hand on her waist.

She giggles. "What?"

Stiles is blushing. "Ariel?"

"She went for a walk with my mom. They should be back soon." She steals a swift kiss and smiles. "Mind helping me with lunch?"

He lowers his head so that his forehead is touching hers and just stares at her green eyes. "God, you're beautiful," he breaths out before kissing her.

That is something she will never get tired of listening. It's a quick, sweet kiss. "You're beautiful."

He chuckles and she steals another kiss, smiling. "Where can I put this?" he asks, waving the hanger he his other hand, his outfit for the evening hiding inside a black cover bag.

"Just put it on my bed."

He nods. "I'll be right back, then. And no peeking at my outfit, Ms. Martin."

She grins. "I'll try my best."

When he gets back, Lydia's by the kitchen island. "So, what are we having for lunch? What can I do?" he asks, coming behind her to see what she's doing.

"Chicken nuggets. Ariel won't shut up about it."

"Really?" Stiles grins and is so happy with her choice that he looks like an excited little kid. "I haven't had chicken nuggets in ages… And it's probably my fault. Ariel talking about it, I mean…" He looks at Lydia apologetically. "She asked me what was my favorite food a few days ago and I told her chicken nuggets and she told me she likes it too. We kind of have an inside joke about it, so yeah, sorry…."

Lydia snorts. She knows it's his favorite. "Stiles, you had chicken nuggets like two weeks ago…"

"Exactly, ages ago," he laughs. "What did I just say?"

She elbows him, laughing too. "Would you please stir the soup?"

When Natalie and Ariel arrive a few minutes after, Stiles and Lydia are sipping on some wine while they take care of the cooking. The girl runs to Stiles as soon as she lays eyes on him.

He hugs her. "Hey, munchkin."

"Nana says we can watch Frozen," the girl states happily.

"Only if we're singing," replies Stiles.

Lydia rolls her eyes. "Really, mom?" _Again?_, she mouths.

Natalie just shrugs her shoulders and mouths _Sorry_ back, already walking towards Stiles to greet him. She hugs him tight like she did with Lydia before.

Stiles is blushing a little when he gets away from her grip. "Hey, Natalie."

"I'm so glad you're here, sweetie."

Stiles bites his lower lip and looks at Lydia, a small smile on his lips, then turning to Natalie again. "Yeah, me too."

xxxxxxxxxx

The afternoon is somewhat perfect, Lydia thinks. After lunch, they all sit in the living room to watch the damn movie, which turns into a singing contest because Ariel wants to be better than Stiles at singing and she really isn't, so she wants to do it over and over again. Natalie sits on one of Lydia's armchairs eyeing the others, Ariel on the couch between Stiles and Lydia. When the movie ends, the girl chooses another one, Tinker Bell this time, and at some point of the movie she asks if Stiles can stay for dinner. All three adults look at each other anxious.

"Hmm honey," Lydia says, "Stiles can't tonight. He uh-"

"I'm taking your mom out tonight," he says, matter-of-factly.

Lydia blushes a little but goes with it. "Yes, and you'll be staying with Nana."

Natalie tries to help them, smiling at the girl. "You will help me cook dinner tonight, Ariel. How does that sound?"

The girl looks a little sad. "I want to go out too."

"We can go to the mall if you want," Natalie offers.

"No. I want Stiles," Ariel says, frowning, lowering her head.

Stiles laughs. "Look at me." Ariel turns her face away from him but he tickles her, and it's not long until the girl is facing him trying not to laugh. "Hey, remember I took you out last weekend and we went to the fair?" Lydia had to go to her office last Saturday, so Stiles stayed with Ariel. The girl nods, still avoiding eye contact. "Well today is your mamma's turn to have fun."

"Why can't I go?" Ariel crosses her arms at her chest and the others try hard not to laugh.

"Because we're gonna do grown-up's stuff." Stiles blurts out, shutting up immediately and blushing hard. Lydia and Natalie start laughing. "I mean, uh…"

"Well, Stiles is right," Lydia says. "There are some things a young girl like you can't do." She can't think of anything better, really. Lydia is panicking a little, not really knowing what to say. "You'll have fun with Nana." She smiles encouragingly but she knows it's not over yet; Ariel is stubborn sometimes just like her.

The girl takes a few seconds to think. Finally looking at Stiles, she grins. "Then you owe me."

"Oh, okay." He looks at the girl deviously, amused. "What do you want, you little terror?"

Ariel gets on her knees on the couch and whispers something at his ear. Stiles' eyes widen and, smiling back at the girl, he nods and the girl giggles. Lydia and Natalie look at each other suspicious and then at Stiles, but he doesn't say anything.

xxxxxxxxxx

In the meantime, Lydia got a call from Allison telling her that she and Scott will also be going on a date that night (Lydia had called Allison early in the morning to tell her the news), so she wanted to know if Natalie would take care of their kids, which turned into a sort of triple date when Chris offered to help Natalie out.

By the time the second movie ends, Scott and Allison are already at Lydia's apartment to leave Eric and Claudia; they were going to drive out of town, so they would have to leave soon. They don't take long, just enough to say goodbye to the kids and wish good luck to Stiles and Lydia. Chris arrives half an hour later and takes Natalie and the kids to the park just outside Lydia's building so that they can play a little before dinner, leaving her and Stiles alone so they can get ready.

While Stiles changes in the bathroom, Lydia puts on her dress. It's a dark teal, long sleeve, lace dress that ends just above her knees. She complements her look with a pair of heels in nude. As for makeup she keeps it simple; mascara and a shade of light pink lipstick; her purse matches her lips. Loosely braiding a section of her hair on each side of her head, she ties both braids together at the back. She curls the end of her hair; she knows how much Stiles loves her curls. She's pretty much done when he knocks on her bedroom door.

"Can I come in?"

Getting up from her vanity's chair, she fixes her dress and checks herself in the mirror. "Sure."

Stiles is awestruck when he sees her but he's not the only one. If Lydia knew he'd look that good in formal attire she would have asked him out a long time ago. He's just wearing a white dress shirt that couldn't fit him any better, navy trousers and brown leather shoes. That's it. Oh, that and the smug look on his face to go along with it, of course. That's all he's wearing and her imagination is already running wild.

He wants to compliment her. He really wants to say something but ends up blushing because her gaze hasn't left him for a second since he came into the room. "Lyds, are you okay?"

She licks her lips involuntarily. "Never better," she says with a smirk of her own, making her way towards him. "You look handsome."

"Well, you look perfect."

She gets closer and lets her lips meet his and he kisses her back. A few seconds into the kiss, Stiles starts giggling.

Lydia doesn't back away. "What?" she murmurs against his lips.

"You know we're doing this the other way around, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Usually when two people go on their first date, they are supposed to kiss _in the end_ and _if_ it goes well. We kissed yesterday, this morning and just now. I think we're ruining it, Lyds," he says laughing, still holding her close.

"We're not a usual couple, now are we?" she asks, smiling shyly.

He caresses her cheeks and kisses her again. "No, no we're not."

xxxxxxxxxx

He parked downtown. Lydia spent the entire trip asking him where they were going to no avail. She figures it could be a lot of places; if she's counting the main street alone, there are at least a dozen different restaurants he could be taking her, some of which she already knows and some more formal than the others.

He takes her by the hand smiling wide, confident with his choice for the evening, technically because it won't be his choice. He stops in the middle of the street and turns to Lydia.

"So, are you telling me where we're going now?" she asks hopeful.

"Actually, you'll tell me. I made 3 reservations. One at that new chic restaurant that just opened because obviously you deserve the best, another at that Italian place I know you like so much and the last one at that restaurant you have lunch sometimes, the one you keep saying feels cozy because it's so small. I wasn't sure which one to pick, so who better than Lydia Martin to know what Lydia Martin wants, right?" He pauses, his eyes searching hers looking for any signs of regret. "We can always go somewhere else if you want, of course." He's fairly pleased when she looks back at him astonished, a smile easily forming on her lips.

"You know me better than you think," she says, letting go of his hand to cross her arms behind his neck while Stiles pulls her closer by the waist. She kisses him softly and surely takes her time to taste his lips. _God_, she really wants the date to end soon... "Italian?"

He nods and pecks her on the cheek before taking her hand again, calling the other two restaurants to cancel the reservations. Lydia hasn't had this much fun in a really long time and she loves it. They spend the whole time talking and laughing, stealing food from the other's plate. When dessert comes, they share.

They lose track of time. By the time they are supposed to leave for the movies (Stiles heard Lydia say one day she hadn't been to the movies in months), they are late for nearly an hour so they end up walking back to his car for his last surprise, with him apologizing repeatedly for making them miss the session time and Lydia laughing at him every time. When they get to the car, Lydia takes the reigns. Placing her purse on top of the vehicle, she gently pushes Stiles against the car. Leaving her hands to rest on his torso, she kisses him enticingly, biting his lower lip softly before breaking the kiss.

Their eyes darken with lust. "What was that for?" Stiles asks, his lips brushing hers.

"To thank you. It was perfect."

He moves quickly to switch places with her, leaving Lydia with her back against the car now. He holds her in her place with a hand on her stomach and she blushes; she can feel warmth all over her body coming from his hand. Slipping her fingers slightly under the waistband of his trousers, she pulls Stiles closer and he teases her, letting his head fall to her neck. His breath on her skin makes her shiver. "You know it's not over yet, right?"

"Oh, I know," she says with a smirk.

He laughs. "That's not what I meant." He kisses her neck. "Later, maybe."

She grins and brings one of her hands up to his cheek…

It all happens too fast. One moment she's about to kiss him, the other she's yelling "_Hey_" and the next Stiles is running away from her and after the men that just stole her purse. Lydia is left standing in her spot frozen, terrified, seeing the scene unfold. Stiles catches them in no time; the problem is that the men, two guys all dressed in black and wearing masks, are much more built than he is so when Stiles grabs the guy who has Lydia's purse in hand to try and take it away from him, Stiles gets punched in the stomach, hard, and bends forward in pain, losing his balance. The second man, taking advantage of Stiles' bewilderment, keeps hitting him. Stiles fights back as he can and is successful in some of his punches until one of the men hits him in the face and leaves him completely disoriented.

Lydia starts running in Stiles' direction along with some other people that were on the street and witnessed the same thing she did when one of the robbers kicks Stiles on his side to make sure that he stays out of the way as they run, and Stiles is left stumbling onto the street, not able to get out of the way of a car that's passing by.

The last thing Stiles hears is Lydia's scream.

**A/N: Lydia's look is inspired on Holland's when she attended the "Live in Pink" party in 2012 and Stiles' look on Dylan's at the Giffoni Film Festival last year. Look it up ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Lydia?"

He narrows his eyes at the bright light from the, _what? Is it a ceiling? _He hears something being dragged, a chair, he thinks, and in a second he sees strawberry blonde hovering above him.

"Stiles."

He doesn't answer right away, it's hard to breathe. It feels like he's being stabbed with every breath he takes. He tries to move and reach out for her but he can't. Everything hurts.

"Shh, don't move," she says. "It's okay. You're okay." Her hand strokes his hair softly as she waits for his eyes to adjust to the light. When he does, he smiles and tries to reach for her again, but it hurts. Every single thing hurts. "Stay still for me, okay? I'll just go call the nurse and I'll be right back."

He's at the hospital, he assumes, and vaguely remembers what happened. "No, Lydia…"

"It'll only take a second. Please, don't move," she pleads. His nod is weak. She kisses his forehead and as quickly as she came into his field of view, she's out.

She's not even gone for a minute, but Stiles gets anxious. He notices an IV in his arm and electrodes on his torso. Soon, the machine he's attached to starts beeping, only stopping when Lydia gets back. She goes stand at his left, holding his hand and stroking his hair again. She's teary, he notices.

"I'm here, I'm here. The nurse will come here soon to check on you." She bites her lower lip. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit." He focuses on keeping his breathing slow to avoid the pain, without much success. "How bad is it?"

"You have a bruised knee, several broken ribs and a concussion. And your right hand is swollen and looks really bad, but nothing's broken. There are lots of cuts and bruises pretty much everywhere. The doctors want to keep you here a couple of days for observation."

"And my face?" He tries to lighten the mood because now she's crying and he can't wipe away her tears. "Am I still good looking?"

Lydia chuckles. "No, but I think you're safe. You'll heal." Her hand falls from his hair to his face. "You have a nasty gash here," she says as her thumb brushes his cheekbone. He winces at her touch. "And there are a lot of bruises, but you'll be okay." It sounds to him like Lydia is saying that more to reassure herself than him.

"Are you okay?" he whispers, squeezing her hand.

"No, not really," she says, shaking her head. "I mean, I am, nothing happened to me. It's just… You scared the hell out of me, you idiot. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I just reacted, I didn't think. I tried to fight them but they were stronger. And that car, it came out of nowhere…" He moves on the bed trying to get a little more comfortable. "It's all I remember."

"You hit your head pretty hard when you fell. You lost consciousness for a few seconds, but you were talking in the ambulance. Maybe you just don't remember yet. They sedated you when you got to the hospital. You've been out since then."

He looks around slowly, disconcerted. It's day already. "What time is it?"

"Around 2:30pm, I think. Your dad and Melissa went downstairs to grab something to eat."

"Have you eaten yet? You look a little pale." He pauses to take a good look at her. "And tired. Lydia, have you slept?"

"You know I can't sleep when I'm nervous." He tries to move again but ends up whining, sore. "Will you stay still?" she scolds.

"Have you met me?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

She sits carefully next to him and looks down at their hands. "I just don't want you to be in any more pain."

He tangles his fingers with hers. "Hey, look at me." She looks back at his eyes, sobbing a little. "I'm so sorry that I did that and that I scared you. I didn't mean to…"

She rolls her eyes. "Of course you didn't mean to, Stiles. It's not your fault. I just…" She bites her lips and a few more tears escape. "I don't know what I'd do if…"

"Hey, I'm right here, okay? I'm pretty banged up, yes, but I'll live. You won't get rid of me that easily." He pauses to steady his breath and gets a smile from her. "Now would you please stop crying? It's killing me that I can't move and do something about it." He gives her an encouraging smile.

Lydia wipes away her tears and leans forward to kiss him. She's cautious not to hurt him and their lips move unhurried, hesitant. When the damn machine starts beeping again, Lydia lingers on the kiss for a while before pulling back and away from him, giggling. "Did you just hold your breath?"

Stiles blushes. "The hottest girl I've ever met just kissed me. I can't be blamed for how my body reacts to that…" She steals a quick kiss, smiling. When they part, he looks astounded. "What was that for?"

"To thank you. Aside from the whole playing hero and almost getting yourself killed thing, it was a perfect evening."

"But we didn't even finish our date."

She smiles fondly. "Plenty of time for that later."

xxxxxxxxxx

The rest of that Sunday afternoon goes by in a hurry, as do the following days. Due to a few headaches, Stiles only gets the all-clear from the doctors on Wednesday. By then he feels a little better, or in less pain at least. Lydia and Melissa spend the days with him at the hospital when they are allowed to. They keep him company and every day before dinner some of the family members stop by.

It's hard on the kids. At first, the parents don't let them see Stiles because he really doesn't look good. As most of the kids are still so young, they don't want them to be impressed by Stiles' injuries. All of the children whine that they want to see Uncle Stiles so he calls everyone on Monday night to try and make them feel better. Carter and Charlotte, however, get anxious and don't understand why they are allowed to talk to their uncle but not see him. The adults end up arranging for the kids to visit Stiles on Wednesday before he gets released from the hospital.

It's a weird afternoon for Stiles, that one, not in the bad sense though. His face is still bruised and the gash is still there, blood red, but all of the kids want to sit on his bed and kiss him and hug him. He has to tell them they can't get too close or they might hurt him without meaning to. Most of the little ones get teary when Stiles tries to move and ends up complaining because it hurts. It breaks his heart looking at them like that, like they are the ones hurting because he knows it's his fault. Aside from how guilty he feels, Stiles' heart melts knowing that each and every single one of them love him unconditionally and that he loves them back the same way, like they are his own. He had never really acknowledged that before.

When most of them leave, Stiles' parents, little Emma, Lydia and Ariel are the only ones left. John carries Emma in his arms and takes Ariel by the hand and out of the room, leaving Lydia and Melissa to help Stiles get dressed. They talk about their options because Stiles can't be left alone. His knee will need physical therapy and might need surgery in the future if it doesn't get better. Crutches are out of the way at least to walk by himself for long because of his ribs and his hand, which is also gonna need therapy. So, to go home, he'll have to go in a wheelchair and even then, unless he's with someone all the time, he'll have to use it.

Stiles stomps his foot, figuratively at least, because he doesn't want to trouble anyone more than he already has, saying that he'll figure it out by himself and that he'll just stay still all day and move when absolutely necessary. Lydia and Melissa had already discussed the matter between themselves though, knowing that Stiles would react selfless like that, remorseful about what happened.

"Your house is out of question, honey. The bedrooms are upstairs and everything else is in the lower floor. There's no way you're staying there," says Melissa.

Stiles is tired, a little irritable, and the medication is yet again kicking in, so he doesn't feel like arguing much. "What am I supposed to do? I can't stay with you guys. What about Emma? Besides, your house has two stories too."

"We know." Lydia almost whispers. She thought about it a lot, a whole damn lot, and she doesn't see other option, nor would she want one. It makes sense and it feels right and it's the safest option for him. "That's why we were thinking maybe you could stay with me." Stiles looks back at her surprised like he hasn't considered it, and before he can make excuses as to why it's not a good idea, Lydia elaborates. "I know we live in an apartment on the third floor, but my house is all in the same level and there's the elevator, so no trouble in or out of the building. It's close to the clinic, so it'll be easier to drop you off for your appointments than if you were on the other side of town. And I work at home, so I can keep you company, take care of you and work nonetheless. I think it's the best option we've got."

She looks at Melissa, who nods encouragingly. "I think Lydia is right, Stiles. And I think this could be good for the two of you. It will take effort and some adjustment, but Lydia offered and she most certainly can handle it…"

"Ariel?" he interrupts.

"Ariel will love to have you there. I don't think she'll be a problem. She loves you, you know that."

"And your mom? You only have one spare room and she visits all the time. You know how much she loves to visit you two. I can't take that away from her."

"You won't. You'll stay with me," Lydia states, blushing. Stiles looks flustered as well.

Melissa smiles. "Why don't I give you two a minute?" she says, already walking towards the door.

Alone, Lydia helps Stiles sit on the wheelchair; they're almost ready to leave that goddamn hospital. Hands on his lap, Stiles looks down at them, not sure of what to say. Lydia gets down on her knees and places her hands on top of his. "Listen, if someone is supposed to be freaking out about this, it should be me. I'm the one who's a single mom and has a young girl to take care of and might have some commitment issues. Still, I'm the one who suggested it. I won't have to compromise my job and I'll still be able to be there for you and for Ariel."

"You do realize that I'll be a piece of work the next few weeks, right? You don't have to take care of me, Lyds…"

"But I want to. Stiles, I love you." She does. The words come out easy because she's known it ever since he started to climb the walls she had so high up.

She didn't have to say it, the same way he didn't have to say it back. They have known it for a while and putting it into words doesn't change a thing. "And I love you. That's why I shouldn't have to impose like that. It was my fault…"

"The accident was as much your fault as it was mine, Stiles," she retorts.

"Lydia, it wasn't your fault."

"My point exactly," Lydia says. "It was no one's fault. It happened, nothing we can do about that. Now you're not imposing at all, as you actually are adamantly trying to get out of this deal but I'm not letting you. I know you and I know you don't want to bother anyone, but you can't do this alone, alright? So maybe we can give it a try and see how it goes?" She purses her lips and gives him a small smile.

He smiles back, giving up. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"I was gonna stalk you and bore you to death and never leave your side to make sure you were okay anyway, so no. Or at least, it sounds less predatory this way," she says grinning, getting up again. "We'll make it work, you'll see."

"Are you sure about this?" he asks, looking up at her. And he means it. If he sees the tiniest bit of doubt in her eyes he'll back out. He'd rather roam his house injured all by himself than have Lydia do something she doesn't want to do or isn't comfortable with. Instead, he sees complete and utter adoration staring back at him.

Lydia bends down enough to capture his lips with hers in a sweet kiss, full of love and promises. "I'm sure," she says, her thumbs caressing his cheeks softly.

He steals a quick kiss, smiling, foreheads touching. "Can we go then? I'm so tired." He is. He's fighting his sleeping pills the best he can.

She kisses his cheek and then gets up. "Of course. Let's go home."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

He tried. Stiles had tried to nap for a little while on the way to Lydia's house. He'd have fifteen, maybe twenty minutes with traffic, to rest his eyes. The thing is Ariel just wouldn't shut up, excited, and it was all his dad's fault. While Melissa and Lydia had stayed behind to dress Stiles back at the hospital, John had taken Emma and Ariel for a walk. To distract the kids from being away from their moms, he had taken them to the Maternity ward to see the newborn babies so yes, Ariel is all happiness and giggles right now.

"Sweetie, Stiles is tired. You'll tell him all about it tomorrow, alright?" Lydia can see his efforts to stay awake for the little girl in the rearview mirror.

Ariel continues babbling and Stiles smiles. "It's okay, Lyds. So how many babies did you see, Ariel?"

The girl opens her arms and smiles bright. "Millions."

"Really?" he says, amused. "Wow."

"I want one, but mommy said they had to stay in the hospital."

Lydia blushes hard at her daughter's innocent comment and looks briefly at Stiles before getting her eyes on the road again. Stiles just laughs. "It's true, munchkin. You saw them. They were small, right?" The girl nods, paying attention. "Well, when they're small like that they need the doctors to look after them. And they need their moms and their dads, you know? You couldn't just take one, they'd be sad." The girl frowns but seems to be taking his words into consideration and stays silent for the rest of the drive. Lydia and Stiles share a few swift glances, smiling and blushing slightly when the other's gaze is upon them.

xxxxxxxxxx

They are followed home by John and Melissa to help them set up. In no time, Stiles falls asleep on Lydia's bed even if it's barely 7pm. The others have dinner and make plans for the next day. Ariel didn't want to go to sleep, continuously sneaking to her mom's room to see if Stiles was awake. By the time Lydia successfully puts her daughter to bed it's almost midnight. Finally making it to her room, Lydia leaves her door slightly ajar, and combs her hair. When she takes off her clothes to change into her nightgown, Stiles startles her.

"Yeah, I can get used to waking up to this." He's smirking.

Lydia blushes but doesn't let him get away with spying on her, although unintentionally. Looking right at him, she takes off her bra and puts on her nightgown, grinning at him. He's dumbstruck. "If I had known you were looking, I would have put on a show," she teases, walking towards the bed.

Stiles is speechless. By the time she lays down on the bed at his right (because his left side is the one that was hurt the most) and gets closer to him under the covers, his mouth is still dry. "Sorry, Lyds."

She turns to lay on her stomach right beside him, supporting herself on her forearms. "It's okay." She lowers her head a little, her cheeks rosy. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

They whisper.

"You were lucky Ariel didn't hear you drop your phone like ten minutes ago, because I sure did."

Lydia and her clumsy hands. "I checked up on her, she's out finally. Sorry I woke you."

"It's okay. I got to see _that_, so thank you," Stiles smiles.

"I see you're better," she teases. "Maybe you didn't need to stay here after all."

"Oh no, no," he interjects, laughing softly. "I can't leave. I need you to take care of me."

"I can take care of you alright." She moves closer and steals a kiss. Her lips brush his as she speaks. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now." He moves his left hand to caress her cheek and pull Lydia to another kiss, deeper now. "Yes, definitely better."

"You are such a kid," she scolds him playfully.

"And still, you love me."

Their tone is amused and she looks at him to search for any signs of insecurity. There's nothing. Like before, saying it out loud doesn't change a thing. They are both smiling. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Good." He moves his thumb in lazy circles on her cheek the same way Lydia is doing with her fingers on his arm. "It'd be kind of weird if we had to take it back, now that I've seen _them_," Stiles teases, cheeks bright red, looking down at her chest.

Lydia lowers her gaze too. Her nightgown doesn't have much cleavage but her position certainly gives Stiles a strategic point of view. She laughs. "Well, then you'd better take a good look because you're not getting any until you're up and running."

Stiles does take his time to answer her. He's abashed. "God, I'm so stupid."

"Remember not to pull another stunt like that the next time we go on a date."

"Oh, I don't think we'll be leaving the house next time."

"Fine by me."

Lydia smiles and bites her lower lip. Stiles stops her with a quick kiss. "I love you."

She smiles wide. "And I love you."

"Just FIY, I'm gonna be saying that a lot," Stiles chuckles.

"Good." Lydia moves to turn off the lights and then turns on her side facing him, her head falling to rest on his shoulder. "Is this okay?"

"It's perfect," he murmurs.

"I meant, am I hurting you? I can move away..."

"You can move closer, actually, it's fine." She does and Stiles moves his right hand, the one that's injured, up to lay down next to the pillow so that Lydia doesn't accidentally hurt him. She's so close that Stiles can feel her breath on his neck. He kisses her forehead. "See? Perfect."

His left hand finds her right to entwine their fingers and they relax into each other, soon dozing off to a much deserved peaceful evening.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Her alarm goes off at 6:30 am. She speaks softly. "Stiles?" He mumbles something incoherent. "Stiles. Come on, wake up. Time for your meds." Lydia sits on the bed and starts getting up. She knows Stiles is awake, she felt him kiss her hair like five minutes ago, when she was still half-asleep.

"Seven," he murmurs, starting to move.

"Yes, meds at seven, but I need to take a shower and so do you. Ariel will be up in an hour, come on babe."

Now Stiles is definitely awake. "_Babe_? Is that how you're calling me now?" he asks smiling.

It kind of slipped out. "You're sleeping on my bed. I think I get to call you whatever I want," she teases.

He smiles. "I like the sound of that."

"Is it okay, though?" Lydia asks more serious now, walking towards his side of the bed. "I mean, I don't know why I said that, it just came out."

"As long as I get to say it back, it's fine by me."

She bends down and kisses his cheek. "Deal. Now…"

They have talked about their arrangements the day before. If he's being honest, Stiles is not too thrilled about Lydia having to help him in the bathroom. For one, he really doesn't want to give her any more trouble than he already has. On the other hand, he's not too keen on Lydia seeing him in moments of such vulnerability and exposure. The problem is that he really can't go to the bathroom alone so he has to suck it up.

She senses his reticence. "Stiles, I told you it's okay. Here." She gives him the nursing pillow she bought to help him whenever he needs to stand. Holding it gently against his chest, Stiles takes his time to get up from the bed and Lydia is right there, just in case; she's not a foot away in case something happens. "Remember, don't force your knee."

It takes them a full three minutes to get to her en suite bathroom, Stiles supporting himself with one crutch on his left side because of his knee, leaving the wheelchair for longer distances. Lydia follows right behind him. She closes the door while Stiles puts the crutch aside and looks apologetically at her. "I'm so sorry about this."

Lydia laughs. "God, Stiles. Stop whining."

He frowns. "This is really not how I thought we'd get undressed the first time, okay?"

Lydia starts unbuttoning his pajama shirt and steals a kiss. "I still get to see you naked," she smirks.

"This is so unfair."

She takes his shirt off, trying not to look at his bruises for long. "Not really. I'm taking a shower too."

"Yeah, well I'm not a big fan of voyeurism. I'm not staying here just to watch you shower, Lyds."

"You still don't get it, do you? We're taking a shower together, as in at the same time."

"What?" Stiles doesn't know if he should be excited or panicking.

"I'll have to get inside the shower to help you, anyway. Might as well save me time, right? Because if not, next time we'll have to get up at six." Lydia figured it wouldn't be much of a big deal. Everything with them seems to come easy these days, but now Stiles is looking back at her with a blank expression and suddenly she's not so sure. "If that's okay with you, of course."

Stiles takes a few more seconds to speak. "Are you sure about this? I really don't want you to do something you don't want to." Lydia opens her mouth to say something but he stops her. "And by the way, I should apologize about last night. You know, when I peeked at you when you were on your underwear. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"Stiles…"

"I'm serious, Lydia. I don't want you to do anything you aren't comfortable with." He has thought about it a lot. He loves her, he does, and of course he _wants_ her but not if she feels insecure about it. Just thinking about what she went through with Jackson in the past makes Stiles sick and god forbid if he'll ever come close to doing something Lydia wouldn't want to respond to. He caresses her cheek. "About everything, alright? I mean us, and me being here and whatever comes next for us. I- I just want you to be safe."

Lydia takes his hand and kisses his knuckles. "I love you. There's nothing I want more." She smiles shyly.

Stiles revels at the sight of a blushing Lydia. "You're so beautiful. Did I ever tell you that?"

She gets closer, smiling like a little girl. "Almost every day."

"It's obviously not enough." He grins. "I love you."

Lydia gets on her tiptoes and kisses him swiftly. Her cheeks must be completely red; she can feel them burning. "Okay, so can we move on? Because we really don't have that much time until Ariel awakes and I have to get her ready for school."

Stiles takes a deep breath. They are really doing this. "Right, of course."

Lydia smirks, grabbing the lace of his pants and untying it. "Alright then." She can see the muscles on his torso tense at her proximity when she slips her fingers under the waistband of his boxers and pulls them down along with his pants, getting on her knees to take them off without Stiles having to make too much effort. When she gets up again, she looks down at his morning erection, obviously pleased.

Stiles feels both embarrassed and smug. "You better take a good look because you're not getting any, remember?"

Lydia bites her lower lip and chuckles. "Very funny. Think you can stand up for long?"

"What?" Stiles is caught off guard again. She's not expecting him to endure sex right now, right?

She rolls her eyes. "Your knee, Stiles."

He rubs the back of his neck, cheeks flushed. "Oh, right."

Lydia laughs loudly now. It's evident what he assumed she meant by the face he's making. "Oh honey," she taps his chest lightly, "you couldn't take me."

Stiles lets out a chuckle. "You're gonna kill me, you know?"

She gets closer to kiss him again, lingering on the taste of his lips while ignoring the press of his bare body against hers. "Oh, I'm gonna do so many things," she whispers, smiling. Taking a step back, Lydia starts walking towards the door. "I'll give you time to pee by yourself while I'll go check on Ariel. Unless you need a hand." She raises an eyebrow, amused.

He laughs and holds out his hand, waving for her to go. "Get out of here."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Lydia is quick to check on Ariel and getting a few things ready for breakfast in the kitchen to save her some time. When she gets back to the bathroom, it's been about four minutes since she had left. Stiles is already in the shower regulating the water temperature when she comes in.

"You okay?" she asks, taking off her slippers and sliding the shower door open to join him.

His smile is faint. "Yeah. How do you like the water? Hot or cold?"

"Lukewarm is just fine."

"Good. Me too."

Stiles turns his back to her to give Lydia some privacy so that she can get undressed. She knows that he's still thinking about their previous conversation and just needs some reassurance, so she calls for him. "Stiles?"

"Mm," he all but hums, still facing away.

"Look at me." Placing one hand on his shoulder, she lets her fingertips trace his skin down his bare back to get his attention. He turns around slowly, coming to notice that Lydia is closer to him than he thought. She still steps closer. "I trust you with our lives, I hope you know that." She pauses until he nods in agreement. "I don't want you to be insecure about touching me or asking me for something, okay? What happened to me in the past, Stiles, it doesn't concern _us_. It was traumatizing, I'd never deny that, but all it takes is a glance." She caresses his cheeks, her thumbs moving in lazy circles. "You look at me and I- I'm lost. You make me lose myself and I mean it in the best possible way. I can't even imagine what my life would turn out to be if I'd never met you." With watery eyes, Lydia lowers her hands to his neck and pulls him down a bit. "Stiles, I'm completely in love with you. I fall for you more every day." Her lips are almost brushing his. Stiles holds her by the waist, his eyes menacing to shed tears just like Lydia's. "I- I feel like I can't breathe unless I'm with you and I've never felt like this before. Stiles, I'm yours. I love you and I trust you. I trust us."

Stiles kisses her gently, pulling softly at her bottom lip. "God, you mean so much to me. You took my breath away right when I met you. Lydia, you still do. And I trust you. And it's not been long since we met, but you complete me. Weird as it sounds, it's true, like we're two irregular pieces of two different puzzles and we still fit. But I just… I need to know that I'm not overstepping a boundary. I'd never want that."

Lydia smiles. "You would never, you're too good. But maybe we could settle for an agreement, if it makes it easier?" she suggests. "Obviously, no sex until you're okay." Stiles pouts a little, making Lydia laugh and dissipating the tension between them. He steals a quick kiss. "But just… Do what you want. I want you to be yourself and I definitely, most certainly, want you to touch me, alright? And I don't want light touches either, I'm not a little girl. Just be you."

She looks at him so sincerely that Stiles forgets how to breathe for a little while, just staring at her. "I need you to promise me, Lyds. Promise me you'll tell me if there's something you don't want to."

Lydia doesn't break the gaze. "I promise."

Stiles exhales sharply, like all of the problems in his life just vanished. Leaving his right hand at her waist where it can't be harmed, his left hand moves up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing her lower lip. "I love you."

Lydia captures his lips in a quick movement, like there's a fire that she needs to see put out but that's all that she does, leaving the rest to Stiles to do as he pleases. He seems to get the hint. His touch is still too gentle at first, but becomes more precise and deliberate with every passing second. Breaking the kiss, his left hand moves to her shoulder, his fingertips brushing her skin all the way down her neck in indistinguishable patterns that make her shiver. Slowly, he moves away the strap of her nightgown down her shoulder and kisses her collarbone while Lydia lets the remaining strap slip down too. She distances herself from him enough to take off the piece of fabric along with her underwear, which she throws unceremoniously to the bathroom floor.

Closing the shower door, Lydia turns to find Stiles already under the water and if that's not a vision of god right there, Lydia wouldn't know what is. He holds out his hand and she takes it, moving closer to him again. Always observant, Stiles notices scars he hasn't been shown the last time around, all those weeks ago. He doesn't hesitate to touch her this time.

"Does it hurt?" he asks, brushing his fingers over two small scars almost parallel to one another on the underside of her left breast.

She shakes her head. "No. It did at the time, but not anymore."

Pulling her under the water with him, he kisses her forehead, then her lips again. "I love you," he whispers.

Lydia smiles wide. "I love you too."

xxxxxxxxxx

It wasn't exactly Lydia's plan to make out with Stiles in the shower but she was not complaining. Stiles wasn't either but the thing is that he was already half hard and as Lydia gave him permission to touch her freely and she was naked, right there for him to fantasize as he wanted to, he ended up having to remind her that, like she said before, no sex, and to actually distance himself from her just in case. Neither was very willing to not be all over the other, but alas they had to.

After the actual shower, Lydia helped Stiles get dressed and got dressed herself. While she woke up Ariel, Stiles roamed around the house a bit to stretch his legs, supporting himself with the crutch. As soon as the little girl was up, she ran to Stiles.

"Wait, wait, wait," he says, making the still sleepy redhead come to a halt. He pats his right leg with a smile. "This one." He knows she was gonna hug him and she likes to hug tight; better be on his good leg. Ariel wraps her little arms around him and he messes with her hair. "Hey, munchkin." The girl looks up and giggles with her bright green eyes sparkling. She looks so much like Lydia that Stiles can't help but to smile back. "You know, I'm gonna need to talk to you."

The girl just nods and grabs his free hand to take him to the kitchen. "Come, Stiles."

They have breakfast together. To someone who wouldn't know them, nor their story or past, they would look like a normal family. Banter ensues between him and Lydia and Ariel is delighted to have him there and won't stop asking him things. He is promised to be shown her new coloring book and he'll have to play with her with modeling clay when she gets home at the end of the day. If possible, Stiles looks more excited about it than Ariel does. Lydia can't stop smiling at that.

Lydia quickly cleans up the kitchen while Stiles (after about ten apologies for not being able to help her) sits on the couch keeping Ariel company for a few minutes. "You know," he speaks calmly to the girl, frowning slightly, "about this weekend, I promised I'd go with you but now I can't, you see? I can't move much. I'm sorry, Ariel." Lydia turns around to see sadness across his face but doesn't say anything. She doesn't even know what he's talking about.

Ariel, who's slowly putting on her shoes by herself, just shrugs her shoulders and pouts, mirroring Stiles' disappointment. "But I wanted to."

Stiles tries is best not to whine in pain when he leans in the girl's direction to kiss the top of her head. "I know. I was really looking forward to it. I'm sorry." He pinches her cheek softly. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Done cleaning up, Lydia notices the effort he's enduring to comfort her daughter and quickly makes her way to the couch, standing behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't push it. You okay?" she asks, concerned.

Stiles straightens himself, making sure that his back is adjusted to the bedrest pillow Lydia got him – he's so gonna have to make it up to her for all the trouble – and rests his head against the top of it, looking up at Lydia. "Yeah, I just…" He bites his lip and turns his head to face the little girl again. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

The girl shakes her head and smiles shyly. "No."

Stiles grins. "I'm gonna need a bigger smile than that, come on." The girl giggles and breaks into a wide smile, pink all over her cheeks.

Lydia's heart skips a beat like it always seems to do when she sees them together. "Honey, we need to get going. Can you go grab your bag, please?" The girl walks out of the room like she's embarrassed at Stiles' attention, laughing all the way to her bedroom. Lydia looks down at Stiles seemingly curious, her thumb caressing his cheek fondly. "What was that about?"

"Remember how she'd said before our date that I owed her? She had asked me to go trick-or-treating with her this weekend. Halloween and all, you know. She wanted me to be the broom."

"The broom?"

"Yeah," he chuckles. "She was going to take me by the hand, pretending to be carrying the broom herself. She's really smart."

If Lydia didn't know better, she'd say Stiles almost looks proud talking about Ariel. Rounding the couch to stand in front of him, she bends over until they're eye to eye and smiles bright, cupping his cheeks. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to. I'm just sorry that I won't get the chance now."

Lydia kisses his forehead. "We'll think of something," she says reassuringly, standing straight again. "But she's not gonna go as a witch now," she chuckles.

Stiles snorts. "And if she's changing costume, Eric is too."

He's probably right. "I'll call Allison later. Now, it might take me some time to get home." She's supposed to stop by his place to get him some clothes. "I'll call you when I get there."

"I don't even see the point, Lyds. You know where everything is," he says nonchalantly.

It's true. "I'll still call to check in on you." She points to the side table right next to the couch. Everything on it is at his reach. "I think you're set. Cellphone, water, something for the pain just in case. Remote and magazines, my tablet too if you want it. And you have your nursing pillow if you want to stand up. Just please don't fall on the ground while I'm away," she chuckles.

He grins. "I'll do my best. Just don't take too long, I might miss you," he whispers.

She smiles. "I won't. There's actually something I want to talk to you about."

She's smiling but Stiles notices the nervousness in her voice. Even so, he doesn't get the chance to ask her anything because Ariel is coming back, already ready to leave. Kissing Stiles swiftly on the cheek, the little girl pulls her mom by the hand away from him. They say goodbye to Stiles and Lydia only gets to mouth the word _later_ with a mischievous look on her face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

It's past eleven when Lydia gets home completely loaded, carrying more bags in her arms than she can almost bear just to make it on one trip upstairs. After leaving Ariel, she had met briefly with Isaac and Cora, stopped by Derek's coffee shop to get some donuts for Stiles – the ones he won't shut up about, with a flossy top and chocolate filling the way he likes it -, went to his house to get some of his things and then she stopped by the grocery store.

As she puts away the groceries and Stiles tries to help – even if he can't do much, which only makes him feel a little guilty -, Lydia tells him that Cora and Isaac offered to bring Ariel home later because there's something they want to talk about.

"Cora is gonna ask you to be her bridesmaid, for sure," Stiles says, nonchalantly.

"Oh, you think?"

"Yeah, you two are pretty close." They are. Lydia and Cora became friends almost instantly and, aside from Allison and Stiles, Cora is the one Lydia likes to talk to the most. Being a teacher and all, she's a pretty good listener. "And we kind of always do this, like when someone from the group gets married, the others are bridesmaids and groomsmen and all that jazz you know, so it's an educated guess," he smiles. "And the wedding is probably gonna be soon, right? I mean, how far long is she?"

"8 weeks, give or take."

Stiles laughs loudly and ends up whining in pain, his left hand moving to his chest quickly as if it can soothe the hurting. "You didn't know Cora when she was younger but she was such a rebel, you have no idea, Lyds. Like _'I'm never getting married'_, _'Kids? Over my dead body'_, you know? And she did so much shit, Derek couldn't handle her for the most part. It took a lot of him to raise her after their parents' death when they were teens. And then Isaac came along and it's like Cora turned into this completely different person and now she's getting married, pregnant."

"Is that why Derek seems to both loathe and love Isaac?"

"I guess. I mean, it's great that she found someone and Derek knows that. Isaac is perfect for Cora but deep down I think Derek is just mad that Isaac didn't show up sooner. Would have avoided so many embarrassing stories for Derek…"

Lydia chuckles. "Well, they're in love and they look happy. That's what counts. And the smile on their faces when they told us about the baby, it was priceless." Her chest tightens a little and for a moment she feels warm but Lydia doesn't say anything about it. Still it probably showed on her features because Stiles, who was leaning against one of the counters, walks up to Lydia to kiss her cheek.

"So will you be my plus one or should I find someone else to go with me?"

Lydia rolls her eyes in typical Lydia fashion. "Stiles, we are both gonna be at the wedding."

"I know. But I don't want us to just be there. I want us to go together." He steals a kiss. "I want to go with you."

"Officially?" she whispers.

Internally he's freaking out a little but on the outside he remains calm and holds her gaze. "Yes. If you're okay with that."

Lydia purses her lips in a smile and pats his chest lightly before stealing a kiss herself. "No plus ones, then." Like that was ever even a choice.

Stiles grins. "Just us."

xxxxxxxxxx

They are both a little stubborn. Stiles insists on helping her out somehow but he can't. He feels immensely guilty for everything she's been doing for him, from letting him stay to taking care of him. And it doesn't go unnoticed to Stiles how tired Lydia looks so he wants to make it a little better. He starts by helping her put away some groceries but eventually his breathing becomes a little shallow and he whines lowly when grabbing something a little heavier than he can handle, especially on just one functional hand. As soon as Lydia notices this, she scurries him away from the kitchen. Stiles insists on being told to do something, so Lydia suggests that he puts away some of his clothes in her closet because she had made room for him. It results in Stiles complaining because he didn't want her to have such a trouble. He is soon left speechless when Lydia retorts "God, Stiles, what's the big deal? Aren't you my boyfriend?"

At his silence, Lydia grins and continues, taking the clothes from Stiles' hands to arrange some of his shirts in hangers and move them to her closet because Stiles is not really doing anything, nor should he be. What he should be doing is resting. "At least I thought that was the purpose of us going on a date." And okay, Lydia is leaving it in the air because they haven't really talked about what they are yet.

"Actually, I just went for the food," he teases.

Lydia chuckles. "Then the joke is on you. Your hunger got you run over."

"Yeah, I'm kind of regretting that now. The accident, obviously. Not the date. I just wasn't aware we had labels already," he says joking.

Lydia pales a little and rambles, embarrassed. "Oh, I... I just thought we were, you know... I mean, I assumed..."

"We are. I was just messing with you." She smacks his arm lightly. "I mean, we are, right? Because if we're not actually dating, you're not seeing me naked again. I'm very shy," he mocks.

Lydia chuckles. "Then we're definitely dating. I totally wanna see you naked more often."

Even if he's smiling, red covers Stiles' cheeks quickly. "Good, that makes two of us. Not to see me, to see you. I mean, see each other." Lydia interrupts him, laughing at his rambling and Stiles frowns. "You know what? Never mind. I can go without looking at your naked self just fine."

Lydia tilts her head to the side and smirks, her fingertips tracing up his chest until her hands are on his neck. "Are you testing me? Because I'll only make it harder for you," she says, an enticing tone playing on her words.

Stiles swallows, pausing for a brief moment. "If that means you'll be naked more often than not just to tease me, then yeah, I'm definitely testing you."

Lydia gives him a mischievous smile. "We'll see about that."

xxxxxxxxxx

She won't admit it but Lydia has been feeling a little tired lately. Until last night when Stiles slept beside her, most of her nights had been restless since his accident not only for herself and Stiles but for Ariel as well, who's been a little edgy, so Stiles and Lydia settled in for a nap after lunch. Like last night, Lydia is lying down beside him, her fingertips tracing patterns on his chest absent-mindedly. Stiles slept the entire afternoon, all the medication he took and how fatigued he felt wearing him out almost instantly as soon as he fell on the bed. Lydia slept for a while but woke up a few minutes ago and she won't move; right here with Stiles is the safest she's felt in a long time. Lydia just lies there, thinking, until Stiles stirs and wakes up about twenty minutes later.

"Hey sleepyhead," she murmurs, placing a kiss on his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"Better, but my chest hurts a bit when I breathe." Lydia sits up promptly not to aggravate his pain, crossing her legs under her. "Oh, it's okay, you didn't have to get up."

Lydia grabs his right – hurt - hand and caresses it gently. "It's fine, I don't mind." She grins. "You snore, did you know?"

Stiles opens his mouth, pretending to be surprised. "What? I do not."

"You do." And he does so in a soft sound, almost like a tune. Lydia could get used to that. "You're lucky I think it's cute."

He frowns but smiles. "Well, you talk in your sleep."

"Not nearly as embarrassing," she mocks. "And I knew that. I didn't say anything weird, did I?"

"I have no idea. You mumbled some pretty incoherent things last night, I don't know what they were."

"Probably another language. I used to do that a lot when I was younger. My mom always said that I kept working on my translations even when I was asleep. I used to sleepwalk too."

"Aren't you full of surprises…" It feels to Stiles like he's stalling so he changes the subject. "So uh, you wanted to talk, right?"

"Yeah, I did. About us."

He raises an eyebrow. "Anything I should be concerned about?"

She smiles. "No, of course not. I…" Lydia purses her lips. "I made a doctor's appointment, for me. I haven't had a check-up in ages and I thought now was a good time, you know." Lydia feels a little nervous and she's sure her hands are trembling slightly so she retrieves them, tucking her hair behind her ears and then fidgeting on her lap. "I was thinking that I should get started on the pill again. I stopped when I had Ariel." It's the first time she has had such a conversation with a partner. Her first boyfriends never really cared whether she was on the pill or not and Jackson made sure she was so that Lydia wouldn't get pregnant in those times he didn't want to use a condom; still, Ariel happened.

But Stiles is different and Lydia feels like this is a conversation for two, not one. Stiles listens attentively. "I used to have some side effects in the beginning. I had to stop the pill three times before. I started on the pill when I was fourteen and it wasn't because I was sexually active or trying to be, it was just to try and regulate my period and control my hormones. I had really bad acne back then." She chuckles and Stiles laughs softly. "But it wasn't really working. I tried it for a couple of months but eventually my mom took me to the doctor and he ended up prescribing me a different brand. I got sick with that one. Kept vomiting, my period was completely unregulated and I got really bad migraines so I had to change again. The last one was actually okay and I really only ever stopped when I found out about Ariel and that was a few years ago. But now…" Stiles is so focused on her words that Lydia relaxes, reaching for his hand again. "Now it's you and I wanna do things right. I want to make sure that we're settled and we work everything out before we ever decide about kids. And I know you want them, you've told me that before, and I'm warming up to the idea too…"

Lydia smiles so wide that she only believes Stiles feels so good about it as she does because he's mirroring her, grinning. She continues. "… but I think we can agree that we should actually date first. I get that everything feels right between us but it's still soon to get to that." Stiles laughs and she squeezes his hand tenderly. "But if I'm being honest, the only reason I'm not having sex with you right now is because you almost got yourself killed and are severely hurt. You should expect lots of sex as soon as you're better." Lydia blushes, pursing her lips in a smile. "I just… I just thought we should talk about it, make sure we're on the same page. And I don't know how you feel about condoms, or protected sex in general, so I thought I'd bring it up."

"I'm okay with whatever you feel more comfortable with," he answers. "I don't really mind using condoms but I prefer not to. It's just different. But I'll use them if you want me to, it's fine."

"That's one of the reasons I've been thinking about getting back on the pill. If the pill prescribed to me this time works, we won't have to use any other protection. And I agree, it is different without it and I really don't want us to be spending our salaries in condoms."

He raises an eyebrow. "How many times a day are you expecting to get laid in the near future, exactly?"

"Ideally as many times as we can handle but I don't want to be spending a box of condoms a day." She laughs at Stiles who's looking at her in awe. He's not sure if she should be scared or turned on. "I'm joking. I just think it's a good option. As long as we're careful with my calendar we should be fine, and we'll be able to do it freely, as we should. My cycle is starting soon so it's good timing. I'll have time to adapt to the pill and make sure it works while you heal."

"And then we're set."

"And then we're set."

Stiles smiles. "As long as you're okay with it, I am too."

Lydia smiles back. "Doesn't it…" She feels a little unsure about asking him but it's such an unquestionably right feeling she can't help it. "Doesn't it feel a little weird that we get along so well? Like, we clicked right from the beginning and we're always so in tune with one another…" she murmurs.

Stiles takes a moment before answering. "You know before lunch, when we were talking about labels?" She nods. "I think I was mostly surprised by it because you said it out loud. We were not together before but it kind of felt like we already were. I don't really know how to explain it. You haven't been here that long but it feels like you always have, I don't know…"

"I get it. And I don't think I've ever had that before. But then again I never really had someone to listen to me or someone who actually cared enough to pay attention." Carefully, she lifts his hand up to kiss his knuckles. "You're a blessing of sorts, Stilinski."

"Are you saying that just because you want to have my kids?" he teases.

"Maybe."

"I knew you wouldn't resist the idea of mini Stiles running around," he grins.

"Or mini Lydias," she remarks.

"Shit." He's had the idea of mini Stiles in his mind for so many years now, it hadn't even occurred to him. "I never thought of that."

"What?"

"Mini Lydias. Mini Stiles, but girls, I mean. I definitely like that idea more." They laugh. "Yeah, mini Lydias it is." They stay quiet for a minute thinking about it. None of them really wants to make it stop but there's something that has been concerning Stiles a bit. "When are we gonna tell the others about us?"

"I'm pretty sure they know, Stiles."

"Well, not officially. I mean, they might think they know but not really be sure, like… They should know, you know?"

"Is this about Ariel?"

"Maybe. Shouldn't we tell her?"

"Yes, but I don't want to confuse her. Once you're better you'll have to go home again so we'll have to think of the best way to explain it to her."

"She'll be fine with it, right?"

"Are you kidding? She'll love to know that she'll get more time with you."

"I hope so."

"You know so," she counter argues.

Stiles looks smug. "Yeah, I kind of do." Sometimes he reads the girl better than Lydia herself. "You know, I think I figured out why Ariel hasn't shut up about wanting a baby. Aside from all the kids we have in this goddamn family, of course. Karen from her class, the blonde one, she's having a baby brother. And you know how snob her mom is, always talking like her daughter is better than the others. Like that could happen, Ariel is much smarter." Lydia's heart skips at his comment; at how effortlessly he talked about Ariel like she's his the same way he has done countless times before. "Anyways, apparently Karen thinks having a brother gives her the right to brag about it all the time so maybe that's why Ariel won't stop talking about it. She's utterly exposed to it, it was bound to happen. I talked to Scott and Eric has been talking about it too but he already has Claudia, so he isn't as focused on it."

"And Ariel doesn't."

Stiles grins. "She will."

"And how do you expect me to tell her she might be having a sibling in two or three years and not now like she wants to?"

"I suggest bribing," he mocks.

"Quality parenting." She chuckles. "Good to know."

"So, two or three years uh?"

She kisses his hand again and smiles. "We'll see."

xxxxxxxxxx

Like Stiles predicted, Cora asks Lydia to be one of her bridesmaids and even if their visit is brief, just to leave Ariel and check on Stiles, it's hard to tell who's more excited about the wedding; Cora suddenly has the urge to talk to Ariel as much as she can and Isaac won't stop grinning. So much love leads to Stiles and Lydia kissing and touching every time Ariel is out of their sight for that night, mostly smiling like fools.

When Lydia is making dinner and Stiles sits in the living room with Ariel to play with the modeling clay, the girl asks him to show her how he makes his toys at the shop. He tries to guide her through it the best he can even if, of course, it's not wood and he's not really doing anything because of his hand. Even so, such a skilled little genius like Ariel comes up with a pretty doll that Stiles perfects a little and suggests they put in the oven so that she can paint it during the weekend. Ariel loves the idea and hugs Stiles, and it's a doll she'll keep on her bedside table for a very long time until, in the future, someone grabs it and unintentionally tosses it to the ground. And it will make Ariel cry but for now she's happy, ordering Stiles to hand her pencils of different colors as she paints in her coloring book while Lydia checks on both of them often, sometimes kissing the top of their heads, sometimes helping Ariel pick a new color and sitting on the ground next to them, keeping them company. And when they get to bed that night, Stiles hugs Lydia a little tighter and Lydia curls up little closer, the idea of a future together easily coming into view.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Friday goes by in a blur.

In the morning, Lydia drops Ariel off at the preschool and then comes back home to pick up Stiles and take him to his first physical therapy session, and while he's there Lydia busies herself with phone calls concerning work. Needless to say, by the end of the session Stiles is completely beat and sore as hell and ends up swallowing his pride and confessing to Lydia that maybe they should've brought the wheelchair, that's he's not feeling too comfortable in walking back to her car – which she had parked 2 blocks away from the clinic, out of luck in finding a better spot - and that he might need a minute or two to gather some strength to do so.

Thankfully for him, Lydia had assumed as much and had put the chair in her car without him knowing so that he couldn't protest against it, and Lydia promptly makes a run to the vehicle to get it for him. By the time they get home and are finished with lunch, Stiles falls on the bed sound asleep for the entirety of the afternoon. Lydia leaves him a note letting him know that she'll be at her doctor's appointment in case he wakes up in the meantime to find that she's gone, but by the time that Lydia returns with Ariel already in tow, Stiles is still passed out.

Lydia doesn't want to wake him up because he looks too tired. Even Ariel seems to notice it and chooses to keep her mom company in the kitchen instead of checking on Stiles constantly like she's grown used to do as of late. And unfortunately for Stiles, when he wakes up the little girl is gone.

His chapped lips fall into a pout. "I really wanted to see her," he mutters almost breathlessly, inhaling and exhaling ever so shortly because of the pain and on top of that, if he's being honest, he's almost fighting back tears and he's not even sure why.

It nearly aches Lydia physically just to look at his saddened expression, pure heartbreak plastered on his features. "I'm really sorry, Stiles," she murmurs, sitting down with him at the table again and handing him another glass of water to keep him hydrated. Both girls had tried waking him up several times by the end of the afternoon to no avail. He'd stir a bit, moan and whine in pain, so Lydia ended up having to convince Ariel to go without saying goodbye to Stiles. Both girls are just as gloomy about it as he is. "But you'll see her tomorrow. She still wants to surprise you, don't worry."

Stiles only woke up an hour ago and he's still weary. He's using the wheelchair again, sharing dinner with Lydia at around 9 at night. "But I- I had promised her I'd go trick or treating with her and now I'm not even seeing her tonight…"

It's Halloween and everyone was supposed to stop by Lydia's house around seven to pick up Ariel while bringing all the kids in costumes for Stiles to see, since Stiles is usually the one who has the most fun with the kids this time of the year. The little girl was supposed to go with the others trick or treating while Lydia was gonna stay behind with Stiles, but because Stiles ended up being completely knocked out, Lydia asked Liam to pick up her daughter by himself instead, so that no one would disturb Stiles' much needed rest. Liam – who formed a connection with the little redhead almost immediately and who Lydia trusts her daughter with every day of the week – is supposed to bring her back by eleven, eleven thirty depending on how much fun the kids are having, but due to Stiles' pain medication, he'll be asleep again by then. It only bothers him more.

Lydia places her hand on top of his, squeezing lightly in understanding. "I really am sorry, Stiles. You wouldn't awake. Even Ariel eventually gave up, saying that you were like Sleeping Beauty, you know, in an eternal sleep and all," she chuckles, trying to lighten up his mood.

"So I'm a princess now, is that it?" he asks, frowning at first but a smile easily making his way to his lips at the thought of the little girl saying something like that.

"A bit of a damsel in distress, I'd say," Lydia muses. "You just need your rest, so lets finish up here and go to bed and you'll see her tomorrow. She'll spoil you and probably won't leave your side anyway," she remarks honestly, knowing for a fact that that's what's going to happen. At that, Stiles grins and Lydia swears his eyes lit up.

They stay in comfortable silence for a bit finishing their meal but Lydia has to scold him and stomp her foot when – while he's watching her wash the dishes and, yet again, feeling guilty for the whole situation – Stiles suggests that maybe he could skip his meds for the night to wait for Ariel to come home.

"No way, Stiles. You are gonna take them." Lydia shifts her gaze from him to the pills that are in front of him with a stern look on her face. "You have to."

"It's just this one time, Lyds," Stiles pouts. "I'm not in _that_ much pain," he argues, trying to win over her. Like he ever could.

"Are you kidding? Stiles, you just had your first session today. You literally slept the whole afternoon out of pain and tiredness-"

"And now I'm rested."

"Hardly," she retorts, noticing his shortness of breath and the small - but still there - bags under his eyes. "I get that you want to stay awake for her, Stiles, I do, but I can't let you do that."

"But I'd promised her, Lyds. And you're staying up to wait for her and to make sure that she gets home okay. _I should too_," he states firmly, not really aware of what he's absently implying.

Lydia does, though, and his words will echo in her mind for days but for now she chooses to give him a pass. Drying her hands, Lydia makes her way back to him and bends down to kiss him gently, her fingers brushing his jaw tenderly as their breaths catch in their throats. It still feels new to them that with their newly established relationship they can kiss anytime they want now. Well, when they're alone anyway. "Please, Stiles. Just take your meds and lets go to bed, okay?" she pleads, more concerned for his well-being than anything else. She knows he's about to give in but his lips still fall into a pout in defeat. She smiles softly. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Much to his dismay, it takes Stiles much longer to get to bed than it did when he woke up just over an hour ago. Apparently, his nap didn't do much to help with his pain and he hates that Lydia turned out to be right, and feels even worse when the painkillers start kicking in once more and by 10:30 he's asleep once more.

Lydia sits on the bed beside him leaning against the headboard, watching Stiles with worried eyes as he quickly drifts off into a dreamless sleep. His hurt hand, still too bruised for her liking, is absently grasping hers like he needs her there, like he needs someone to hold on to, and so Lydia's mind starts to wander.

She still grabs a book to distract herself until her daughter is brought home but it doesn't do her any good; her thoughts keep drifting to his words, to the way he said them, to what he actually meant even if in truth Lydia believes that Stiles would never mean it in a bad way. "_But I'd promised her, Lyds. And you're staying up to wait for her and to make sure that she gets home okay. __**I should too**__..._"

She had never meant for Stiles to feel like he has to take care of them, neither Lydia nor Ariel. Certainly not when he can't even take care of himself much like now, but even so. Lydia doesn't want Stiles to feel like he has any sort of obligation to them, a sense of duty. Thankfully, Lydia ends up not giving it too much attention that night and forgetting it altogether when her daughter is brought home at 11:30, the little redhead asleep in Liam's arms. Thanking Liam and inviting him for lunch the next day, the boy leaves and Lydia puts her daughter to sleep easily, going to bed herself around midnight without any more doubtful thoughts crossing her mind for the time being.

xxxxxxxxxx

That night, Stiles and Lydia wake up at almost 3 in the morning to an agonizing scream that makes them jolt right out of bed in an instant, the strange sound making Stiles' blood boil with the adrenaline. Stiles whines in pain at his own sudden movement because for a moment there he forgot that he can't move that fast while he's hurt, and before he can even do anything else about it, Lydia is out the door muttering to Stiles that "I'll go, just stay there."

Stiles' heart almost jumps right out of his chest in fear. The little girl is crying - he can hear her in the distance - and he wants nothing but to go to her and see what's going on but it takes so long for him to get off of the bed that by the time that Lydia is back, Stiles isn't even properly sitting yet. Lydia is holding a much calmer Ariel on her arms, the girl hiding on the crook of her mom's neck and sobbing quietly, even though Stiles can hear her like if she was right next to him. "Hey, don't get up," Lydia murmurs to him, her tone hushed not to scare her daughter more.

"What happened?" he whispers back.

Lydia gives him a small smile, her free hand rubbing up and down the sleepy girl's back. "_Someone_ just had a nightmare. I guess she encountered too many creatures of the night while trick or treating." Stiles smiles as well. "She usually sleeps with me when she has a nightmare, so I guess I'll just sleep with her tonight…?" Lydia explains, uncertain of what to do next.

"And where do you usually do that? In her room?" Stiles is sure that Lydia is trying to look out for him. There's no way she can sleep in such a small bed like Ariel's.

"No, hmm…" Lydia gulps visibly, knowing he can see right through her. "Here. I just don't want you getting hurt."

Stiles refrains from rolling his eyes because he immediately notices how Lydia tenses, how she looks a little uncomfortable with the whole situation, and then it hits him that maybe she has never shared a bed with her daughter and someone else, maybe just her mom. Certainly not with a guy, which just makes everything more personal, more intimate. "If you want to stay here, I don't mind. She won't hurt me," he offers, leaving the decision to Lydia. It's her daughter, her house, her bed. It's not like he has a say in it, unfortunately.

Lydia ponders briefly, opting for leaving it to Ariel. Whatever has the girl more comfortable is fine with Lydia. "Do you want to stay with Stiles tonight or do you want to go back to your room, honey?" she whispers in the girl's ear, low enough that Stiles can't hear them. The little redhead nuzzles against Lydia's shoulder muttering something unintelligible that to Lydia sounds like '_Stiles_' as she keeps sobbing softly, hugging her mom a little tighter.

The strawberry blonde shortens the distance between both girls and the bed where her boyfriend scoots over a little, making more space for them. Ariel barely has her eyes open, drowsy with tiredness and fear, innocence on her cute features making Stiles unable to hide a smile. When Ariel settles in the middle of the bed and Lydia climbs in right after her pulling her little girl against her chest, Stiles reaches out to hold Ariel's hand.

"Hey, munchkin. What were you dreaming about?" he asks in a hum, his thumb brushing against her little hand slowly.

Ariel's eyes widen, fully realizing that Stiles is not only there but awake. Her small hand grasps his firmly. "Werewolves," she murmurs, pouting adorably as tears well on her eyes.

"Werewolves?" he asks, biting his lower lip not to smile like Lydia is doing behind her daughter. "And were there many of them?"

Ariel nods, snuggling more into Lydia. "They were scary."

Her lower lip quivers and Stiles moves his hurt hand slowly to caress her cheek. "You're okay now. It was just a bad dream, sweetie." She relaxes into his touch instantly, closing her eyes. "We're here. We won't let them hurt you."

They stay in silence after that, both Stiles and Lydia eyeing the little redhead as she falls asleep in between them before falling asleep themselves, and even if Lydia - deep down and unsure of the exact reason why - is starting to think that there's something that's bothering her, she has to admit that nothing has ever felt so right.

xxxxxxxxxx

It's been five weeks and a half since his accident and Stiles' health has improved greatly. His knee didn't need surgery after all and he can walk almost properly now; his physical therapy sessions are about to end, actually. Things at home… Well, not his home, but things have been good. He and Lydia managed to keep their relationship a secret from Ariel up until now as they've been waiting for the right moment to tell her about it, mostly because they're not sure how to do it since Stiles will be returning to his own house in less than a week, hopefully fully recovered by then. Ariel coming home to find Stiles, Lydia or both there is something that the little girl couldn't be happier about and routines were created effortlessly, naturally even.

As for Stiles and Lydia as a couple, the only way things could be better is if they'd had sex yet, but they agreed on waiting until Stiles is completely healed, with any luck by Lydia's birthday in just a few days, sticking with their plan as they can. They have definitely been grabbier, though. The more they can't move things forward intimately the more they want to, and so sometimes Lydia almost has to run to pick up her daughter from preschool because she's too entertained making out with Stiles, and the same goes for him and his doctor's appointments. For the first time in a long time in both their lives, things seem to be going right for a change, so that's why Stiles is so hurt by her words.

He's not sure what happened. Things were going just fine between them. Hell, they were going great and now he's on his side of her bed and Lydia on hers with as much space between them as possible, and Stiles is positive that they've both been pretending to be asleep for the last two hours.

He didn't mean for their conversation to go how it went. In all honesty, he didn't even think much of it and next thing he knows the words are coming out of her mouth harsher than Lydia intended and from the look on her face, Stiles can't help but believe that they hurt her as much as they hurt him. "_She's not your daughter_".

He gets what she means and he's well aware of the fact that Ariel is not his. In fact, every time he thinks about it, he hopes that she would be but it will never be the case and he's made his peace with that; there's nothing he can do to change it. Stiles can understand why Lydia would be upset that he'd want to spend more time with the girl when it's not like he's supposed to, but Lydia should comprehend his side as well. He knows that she just needs to be reassured that taking care of her little girl never felt like an obligation to him, never will. So when he brought up the subject of starting to assemble a dollhouse they'd have to do together from scratch – an idea that occurred to him, Scott and his dad and that, if successful, they could consider as a new product for their shop – Lydia's words cut him like glass and left him cold, still in place and wordless, result of too many little things she'd seen throughout the last month and that, in all honesty, mean nothing. She's just scared for the future because of how much her little girl depends on him. And deep down Stiles knows that, but it doesn't make Lydia's words hurt any less.

Stiles exhales sharply, finally deciding on putting an end to their pretend sleep to talk about it because he hates this. It's not like they're really mad at each other but it's the first time something like this has happened between them and god, he wishes it'll never happen again. They haven't talked most of the afternoon and he's jittery, incredibly nervous and feels like there's not enough air for him to breathe. He's about to turn around to face her when he senses her getting up from the bed and walking away from him and to the hallway, and he swears he hears her let out a sob and his heart breaks. Why would she even be crying?

Lydia doesn't look back to know that he's watching her and Stiles is left alone in her bedroom for a moment, lost in thought, until eventually he gathers the courage to get up to find her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

He grabs a blanket before he exits her bedroom, the cold night making Stiles shiver as soon as he gets out of bed. He leaves it on the couch when he finds her.

Lydia is in the dark kitchen and he can barely see her, the only visible light coming from one of the windows, the moonlight casting soft shadows over the room. She's leaning against one of the counters, hiding her face in her hands and sobbing quietly until she feels movement close to her. Firm but gentle hands grab her wrists and she's left with no option but to face Stiles, the concern on his features making Lydia even madder at herself for hurting him.

Silently, he opens his arms and she gladly lets him wrap them around her small frame, feeling safe like she always does when she's with him. He doesn't let go until she stops crying a few moments later, and when she does he wipes her tears away.

Before she can say anything, Stiles moves away to get her a glass of water. Lydia accepts it with trembling hands, taking a deep breath before drinking half of it, then placing the glass on the counter behind her. When she turns back to face him, Lydia lowers her gaze in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

It's barely a whisper in the quiet night not to wake up the little redhead that's sleeping two rooms down the hallway, Stiles is sure, and so he grabs ahold of one of Lydia's hands and tilts his head in the living room's direction, murmuring himself. "Come on."

Lydia gives in to a small smile and lets him lead her to the couch, where she sits beside him. Their knees are touching when they settle in a comfortable position but Lydia doesn't move closer to him. He lets her. For some reason she's vulnerable and he needs to know why. Words are yet to be shared.

He grabs the blanket and pulls it over their laps, turning to face her and leaning against the back of the couch with his right shoulder. "What's going on, Lyds?"

She finds his hands to hold in hers and sighs, avoiding his gaze at first. "I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday. I shouldn't have," she murmurs.

"I just want to know what's wrong, Lyds. Tell me what's wrong," he pleads, his thumb brushing her knuckles softly. "Just talk to me."

"I'm… I'm confused, I think. I'm not sure… I'm not sure of anything and it makes me anxious."

"How come? What's bothering you?"

"It's not… It's not like it's _bothering_ me, not in the negative sense of the word. I- Stiles, I…"

He waits patiently for her to elaborate, caressing her hands in reassurance. "It's okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me, okay? We can figure this out."

"What if for some reason we can't?"

Stiles frowns slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Stiles, I'm… I'm afraid, for Ariel. I know it sounds silly and sudden but if something happens to you, to _us_, she's… She's so attached to you, Stiles. I wouldn't know what to do if something happened. I barely know what to do now," she tells him almost shyly, a half sob coming out.

Stiles pulls her to him before she can start crying again. Lydia rests her head on his chest, snuggling into him and closing her eyes, taking another deep breath. He kisses her forehead. "It's not silly. I get it. You're a single mom and she's your baby girl. But Lydia, we don't know if anything is going to happen. We don't know the future," he whispers to her hair.

She sighs. "I know. But it's just… I had never seen Ariel get along so great with a man before and even if it seems effortless to her, it- It makes me think about things. I'm sure she sees you as a father figure by now, Stiles, and I'm okay with that as long as she's safe, as long as nothing happens to her. But then there's always something that nags at me-"

Lydia struggle for words. "Like what?" Stiles asks unsure.

"Little things. Like… Like you coloring a drawing with her just because you genuinely want to, or you being the first person she asks me about when I pick her up at preschool or the way she's so comfortable with you tucking her in at night, you know? I know you mean well. I really do, Stiles, but it makes me anxious. She's never had someone like you in her life and I don't know what will happen if, for some reason, you're not here."

The silence stretches for a little while after that as Stiles chooses his next words carefully. "I know I'm not her dad." Lydia distances herself enough from him to look at Stiles properly. He lowers his gaze to his lap. "She's not my daughter and I'm not her father and it's how it is. But that won't stop me from wanting what's best for her." He searches Lydia's eyes and Lydia nods in encouragement. "I don't know how it happened. You two haven't been here that long but we just clicked. There's some kind of connection that just pulls me towards you two and I can't help it. I honestly love spending time with her, Lydia. I would spend my whole days with her if I could. She's smart and intuitive, funny. She's a great kid. And I get what you're saying, I think about that too. But Lydia, I don't do it on purpose or with the intention to leave or-"

She cups his cheeks. "I know, I know. And I'm really sorry I said it like that, Stiles. I didn't want to hurt you, especially since you're so good with her. But I don't want you to feel like you have to be there for her, like it's something that you need to do, you know? I- I was just…"

"Insecure. I get it. But you don't have to be."

Lydia lets her hands fall from his face to entwine her fingers with his. "I know. I'm really sorry, Stiles."

"It's okay." He kisses the back of her hand comfortingly. "I can't… I can't tell you that it didn't hurt to hear it because it did, but I understand what you're trying to say. But Lyds, I need you to understand my side as well. Me and Ariel… Caring about her comes natural to me. And I'm with her the same way I'm with Eric or Claudia, and the others too. I don't feel like it's an obligation, Lydia, at all, and I don't want you to think that either. I truly enjoy spending time with the kids, and more so Ariel. I can't really explain why but making her happy makes me happy, and so that's what I've been doing. I'm just trying to make her happy."

Lydia leans forward to place a chaste kiss on his lips, one that he holds onto for a moment too long. She doesn't mind. "Thank you."

Stiles cups her cheeks and moves a little closer, kissing her more passionately this time and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Lydia complies easily, tugging at his shirt for leverage. He's the one breaking the kiss, resting his forehead against hers and looking her in the eyes with adoration. There's a moment of silence while they catch their breaths before Stiles speaks again. "I'll be here for you for as long as you let me, alright? Both of you. And Lydia, you can always talk to me, no matter what. So next time that there's an issue or a misunderstanding, we're gonna sit right here and talk it out." He smiles warmly. "How does that sound?"

"I'd like that. We've never really had that before, me and Ariel, someone who's just… Here. I think that's what's been holding me back," she confesses. "But not anymore." Lydia pushes Stiles down onto the couch and lies beside him, pulling the blanket to cover them both and snuggling against his side. "What do we do now?" she asks, because they're seemingly okay but it doesn't change the fact that his constant presence is changing things for the three of them.

"I don't know," Stiles replies honestly. They take a few minutes to think. "I know that me moving in was because of the accident and not actually _us_ moving in together, but it rushed things between us even if we didn't mean it to. Maybe we just need to step back a bit to let things run their course. Me moving out will be a good thing. It'll give us time and space to work our things out."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

He smiles softly. "I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that there are no such things as coincidences. Whatever we went through in the past, we kept going. We survived. And now we're here. It has to mean something in the grander scheme of things, right, you bumping into me that morning?"

Lydia chuckles and covers her mouth quickly not to let out any sound. "And then again later that day. Yeah, I guess so…"

"What if…" Stiles thinks it over some more. "What if instead of moving out next week, I'd move out now? You know, ease Ariel into it. We still have to tell her that we're dating and maybe throughout the rest of this week I could start sleeping back at my place again and we could figure something out for me to see her, like a schedule or something like that. A new routine for us. Maybe it won't be as much of a shock to her. Your birthday is on Sunday and we're gonna spend the day together anyway, so I'm guessing it would be harder for her if by Monday I'm completely gone."

"Yeah, I think so too. And how do you suggest we do that?"

Stiles plays with her hair absently. "Hmm… Maybe… Maybe we talk to her at dinner tomorrow, about me moving out since we haven't been reminding her of that lately. And during the day you and I can start gathering a few of my things already."

"You have your physical therapy session in the morning," she reminds him.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe in the afternoon? You can work in peace and I'll gather my things. It'll give me something to do while you're working. And maybe I can still stay the night here tomorrow…"

"Of course."

Stiles smiles wide, blushing. "And uh- We tell her that I'm moving out."

Lydia frowns. "It's not like she doesn't know because we've told her that when you first came here, but I think she'll be upset."

"Yeah… That's why maybe easing her into it will probably be best. And once I start sleeping at my house again, well…" He brushes his thumb across her cheekbone. "We're dating, so we'll be seeing each other often. Maybe we could have dinner together every day, either here or there? Or most days, at least. She'd like that, right?"

"She'd love that. Yeah, maybe we can do that. One day here and one day at your house…"

"She can take some toys to play with, even leave them there if she wants to…"

"And you can spend some time with her while I cook…"

"Or we can all cook and spend some quality time together…"

"And then we can watch some TV before someone has to go for the night…"

"I can even read to her before I have to leave her. She likes it when I read to her before bed," he quips proudly.

Lydia grins. "Yeah, she does. And you know what?"

He moves his thumb from her cheekbone to the corner of her mouth teasingly. "What?"

"Stiles, I'd love it if you would build a dollhouse with her. I'd really like that."

His mouth opens in shock. He had thought that was a lost cause. "You'd let me?"

His features change to pure happiness, and even in the dim light Lydia can feel his excitement. "As long as she wants to, yes. And it would make you happy."

He nods. "It really would. God, Lydia… Are you sure about this, though?"

"About making you and my daughter happy?" She places a quick peck on his lips. "Always. Okay, so…" she recaps. "We're a week away from our deadline. Even though you're already okay, we were counting on you to be completely, 100% physically fine by next Monday and you'd move out then. But I think you're right, yes. Making it easier for Ariel should, of course, be something to consider, so tomorrow…" Lydia looks over at the digital watch of her DVD player. "Well, today. It's past midnight so it's already Monday. Okay, so today we'll have breakfast as usual, I'll take her to preschool while you get ready. After your session, we'll have lunch and then I'll work on some translations and you'll gather some of your things that you'll still keep in my room, and at dinner we'll talk to Ariel. It should be fine, right? Although I'm sure we'll get some reaction out of her…"

"Most likely yes. But she'll understand, I think. I hope… And then on Tuesday we'll have breakfast together again and we can start moving my things back to my place during the day and we'll have dinner there. And maybe I can spend my first night at home then? And we'll see how it goes with her?"

Lydia nods in agreement. "Yeah, sounds like a plan. It'll be hard for the both of us, though," Lydia admits, "knowing that you're not here when we wake up. We've grown used to have you around."

"Hey, I'll still be around."

"Good! I just- I just want what's best for Ariel."

Stiles kisses her forehead. "So do I."

xxxxxxxxxx

Ariel is not one for fits, Stiles and Lydia know that. And they also know that she is much smarter than most kids her age, so there was a tiny bit of hope on their part that she'd actually understand the situation, that somehow this was gonna be easy on them.

Granted, Ariel doesn't throw a fit, but she doesn't really understand what's happening either. The little redhead looks between both adults with her eyes wide open, tears brimming and a sad smile on her lips as she looks down to the ground. They both try to explain in several different ways that this was to be expected ever since the day he moved him because of his accident, and that it doesn't mean anything other than Stiles going back to his house, that nothing changes.

The thing is, it does, and Stiles and Lydia really hadn't considered all the different ways that Ariel could have reacted to the news. So when she leaves them behind to run to her room, they are startled at first but act instantly, running after her. When she tells Stiles to leave, he stands completely still, stunned. When he tries to reach for her, the girl starts crying silently and goes curl up into a ball on her bed, facing away from them.

Lydia can only look apologetic at Stiles and he walks back to the living room when Lydia assures him that she's got it, that she just needs a few minutes with her daughter alone. When Lydia takes almost forty minutes to meet him, he's straight up losing his mind because they obviously messed up, something in his and Lydia's plan didn't quite work out as they wanted it to.

When she tells him that she was finally able to put Ariel to sleep, without him, he could never lie and say that a piece of his heart wasn't broken right then because he's been the one tucking her in for several days in a row now. When he asks Lydia if Ariel is okay, she tells him that she's not sure, but that the girl was adamant about one thing.

_She doesn't want to see Stiles_.

Another piece of his heart damaged when he hears that.

Neither Stiles nor Lydia sleep that night.

The next morning, when Stiles tries to reach for the little girl to talk to her, she walks past him as if he wasn't even there, giving him what she'd stubbornly decided was a good enough punishment. And the worst part is that she's so resolute about it that it lasts for days.

The silence treatment.

She's a four year old after all.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note:** So this was supposed to be 2-3k…

In case you missed it, I posted a one-shot a few months ago that is a flashforward of this story (Drabble #22), about a year after the events in this chapter.

I've also posted new stories this month, so if you haven't yet please go check them out.

Enjoy :)

xxxxxxxxxx

It takes a toll on all three of them.

On Tuesday, when Lydia picks up Ariel from pre-school and tells her daughter that they'll have dinner at Stiles' for the first time that night, Ariel throws a fit on their way to the car much to Lydia's embarrassment, saying in between cries and shouts that she doesn't want to talk to Stiles. Because the little girl doesn't say that she doesn't want to _see_ Stiles specifically, Lydia decides that they're going anyway. Still, just like the night before, Ariel doesn't address him even once during the evening, hurting him like he's hurting her.

Lydia can quite literally see how both Stiles and her daughter become more and more heartbroken as time passes and no solution to their conflict is reached. In fact, she doesn't think she's ever seen Stiles nor Ariel sadder than when she takes her daughter's hand and they leave for the night, following the plan so that Stiles finally gets to spend his first night at home alone ever since his accident.

On Wednesday, as agreed, Stiles is supposed to stop by for breakfast but when he calls Lydia to say that he's about to leave to meet the girls, Lydia has to tell him that Ariel didn't sleep well during the night and that she woke up earlier than usual, so the girl had already eaten. Stiles ends up staying put, skipping breakfast altogether until Lydia stops by and forces him to eat. After his physical therapy session, Stiles and Lydia have lunch and spend the afternoon together as planned, but whereas they could have taken advantage of that alone time to move some of his things back to his place or even to enjoy themselves, truth is those hours are spent discussing how they can make things better; how they can make everything right again.

They come up empty-handed, with nothing more than what they had already agreed on a couple of days before.

Both Stiles and Lydia pick up Ariel from pre-school that afternoon and have dinner at Lydia's. Surprisingly, Ariel doesn't throw a fit this time, resolving to keep quiet throughout the meal. Still, the little girl eyes Stiles constantly as if to make sure that he's still there but no words come out, and truly she's only scared of pushing him away any further. She doesn't understand what it is she did wrong to make Stiles want to leave.

Stiles spends the night there, yet the girl doesn't talk to him until Lydia puts her to bed, nor does she say a word the next morning as well.

And Thursday it's when it starts becoming worrying.

During breakfast, Stiles and Lydia really notice that Ariel has been eating less and less the past few days, having lost some of her appetite. It only concerns Stiles and Lydia further, so when they take her to pre-school Lydia makes sure to tell Cora about it so that the teacher can keep an eye on the little girl throughout the day.

It's when they learn from Cora that a couple of the kids in her class have their parents going through a divorce or a separation, and that because Ariel and Stiles had become so close so quickly - and also the whole ordeal his accident arranged (that even though unintended, ended up changing their routines so much) - it's only normal to expect that at the very least, Ariel is rather confused. Confused about what having so many new people around her and her mother means; about what Stiles - albeit temporarily - moving in implies. Confused about what it suggests now that he wants to leave. Regardless, Cora promises that she'll keep an eye on Ariel.

Stiles stays until late again, determined to figure out a way to make the little one stop hurting but it proves fruitless. During dinner, both him and Lydia try more than once to strike up a conversation with Ariel but she seems even quieter than in the last few days, sadder, and barely touches her food during the meal.

Lydia wants to believe that she lets Ariel go to her room after realizing that forcing the little girl to eat won't be the answer, hoping that she'll come around in an hour or so if she gets hungry. But it isn't the whole truth. A part of her just wants Ariel to leave so that she can cry.

After all, Lydia is heartbroken too.

She has only cried in front of her daughter a handful of times, and in all of them Lydia hated herself for it. Your children aren't supposed to see you suffering, and aren't supposed to hurt because of it. It had happened when Lydia felt alone and didn't have Natalie around to help out, or when Ariel did something for the first time and Lydia knew that her little girl would probably never have her father around to witness it.

Being a single parent can get lonely, and up until moving to Beacon Hills Lydia had only been able to rely on herself, and sometimes on her mother whenever the woman could. Yet she often wonders what it would be like, having raised Ariel with a father who was present, who was there for everything and anything that came at them even if Lydia knows it could never have been Jackson. Not with his temper and his wrong views of the world, not with his lack of responsibility and compassion at the very most. Had he ever changed, or had he been different, Lydia doesn't have a clue of where they be today.

And yet, despite loathing the thought of Jackson ever being in her daughter's life, Lydia dreads all the moments when Ariel will need a father and suffer with the absence of a parental figure as she gets older; the moments Jackson won't be a part of that Ariel will for sure ask Lydia about one day.

Jackson already wasn't there for the first time Ariel crawled or when she took her first steps. He didn't hear her first word (something along the lines of _ana_, because the little redhead was obsessed with bananas by then and always wanted more) nor was he there when she mastered potty training. The same way, he won't be here when Ariel loses her first tooth or wants to learn how to ride a bike, when she learns how to write and how to read. Ariel won't have a father who can scare off possible love interests when she's too young to even think about romance, or someone to take her to father-daughter dances. Lydia doesn't even want to think what Ariel will say if she ever wants to get married and doesn't have a father to walk her down the aisle.

Tears threaten to spill down Lydia's cheeks the second that Ariel is out of her sight, and Stiles is on his feet in an instant, pulling Lydia closer and wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he can manage, as if he can will her pain away just because he wants to. Lydia sobs quietly into his chest until Stiles pulls back and wipes her cheeks, kissing her hairline and whispering comforting words that Lydia can't quite make out.

They're silent while they clean up the table and do the dishes. They're silent when Lydia goes help Ariel change into her pajamas and returns to the living room just as conflicted as she'd left. They're silent as they cuddle on the couch, Stiles' arms wrapped around Lydia's frame comfortably as they rack their brains for a solution.

After a few minutes of closeness - of closeness and protection and care because Stiles always wears his heart on his sleeve, _always_, and makes the simplest thing feel like _more_ -, Lydia pushes a hand against his chest and sits straighter, entwining her fingers with his. "I can't stop thinking about what Cora said," she admits bashfully, barely a whisper.

Stiles responds just as quietly. "I know," he says, running a hand through his hair. "Lydia, maybe…"

She nods because she already knows what he's going to say. "I think it's time to talk to her about Jackson."

"Yeah," he murmurs, leaning in a little. "Have you uh-" Stiles looks down at his lap where their hands are. "Have you given any thought to how you'll do it?" He asks, almost timidly because maybe this is overstepping a boundary. Maybe a boyfriend asking his girlfriend how she'll tell her daughter about a father she knows nothing about is a bit too much.

Lydia nods slowly, gazing down as well. "I uh—" She licks her lips, feeling her mouth suddenly dry. "I have but… How do you tell a 4 year old that her dad won't be a part of her life even if he's out there in the world somewhere?" She practically hums.

Stiles cups her cheek with the hand that isn't holding her own places his lips on her forehead, kissing her gently. "You'll figure something out," he says, assuming that it's not his place to interfere in this matter. "Have you talked to your mom about it?"

She nods again. "Yes. We always thought we had more time," Lydia confesses. "We always thought this would only happen when Ariel was older, when she could understand better." She bites on her lower lip nervously before continuing. "But then we came here, and we met all of you, and that alone was bound to change things. And then _you_…"

"I'm sorry," he whispers sincerely.

She tries to dismiss it because it isn't true. All that Stiles has ever done for them was for the better; this mess was meant to happen anyway even if he was just a friend of the family like the others, if only not as gravely. "No, Stiles. That's not what I-"

"Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so attached right off the bat. And I definitely shouldn't have gone after that robber, that was so stupid!" He chastises himself. "I shouldn't have accepted to come here, _that_ only made things worse…"

"Stop," Lydia murmurs softly, shaking her head slightly. Her green eyes call for him until he's holding her gaze, helpless at how entrancing she can be sometimes. "I don't want you to apologize for any of it, not ever again. I don't want you to apologize for looking after my daughter, for caring for her so deeply like you do. I don't want you to apologize for trying to do what you thought was right or for accepting help when you needed it. Stiles…" Her voice breaks and Lydia takes a deep breath to calm herself down before the dam breaks again. "What's done is done, and I don't think we did wrong. I think it was unavoidable, sooner or later."

"Maybe if we'd waited…" He tries to justify, hating that part of the reason why Ariel is hurting is him.

"Then it would have happened anyway," Lydia tells him, believing this to be true. It's all she's been thinking about lately. "And what? We would just not give in to our feelings? You'd pretend you don't enjoy spending time with Ariel like I know you do?" She says lightly, trying to cheer up their moods a little, a barely there smile on her lips.

Stiles laughs through his nose, picking up on what she's trying to do. He rests his forehead against hers. "In my defense, you two are pretty lovable. It's pretty hard to ignore it and I'm weak. I never stood a chance."

Lydia smiles genuinely this time, her eyes shining for the first time in days with something that isn't tears. "I think I know the feeling…"

He thinks of kissing her, but then it also crosses his mind how Ariel could walk in on them. How it could make everything even more complicated if she didn't understand that either. "I should go," he says instead. "I don't want to push it with her."

Lydia must have been thinking the same thing because she straightens again, pursing her lips nervously as she's reminded of the pressing matter at hand. "Maybe. I don't even know anymore… You staying could help but would confuse her more, but on the other hand you leaving…" Lydia yawns despite herself, tired from the last few days wearing her out. "I don't really know…"

"Lydia, you look exhausted," he mumbles, concern in his voice. "You haven't been resting at all, you're always worried…" Stiles gets up from the couch and, still holding her hand, pulls her up as well. "Why don't I head home? Maybe you can get Ariel to eat when I'm gone, and then you can try and get some rest-"

"You know I can't sleep when I'm-"

"Nervous. I know," he finishes. "I can call you and talk to you until you fall asleep," he offers with a kind smile.

"You're not that monotonous," Lydia jokes lightly, trying to disguise the uneasy feeling that tugs at her heart at the thought of him leaving again.

"But I know how to calm you."

And in truth, he does. Lydia chooses not to tell him that it has more to do with his touch than his voice for the time being. "That you do," she concedes even though she doesn't want to. Not if he means he gets to leave.

Lydia follows him to the front door in silence and Stiles comes to a halt. "So…"

"So…"

"Call your mom," he suggests. "Tomorrow's Friday so maybe she can come this weekend?"

"She has a parent-teacher conference tonight, but I'll call her tomorrow morning," Lydia agrees. "And then we'll decide how to talk to Ariel. Maybe with her around it'll be easier…"

Somehow, they both doubt that. "We can call Melissa too. I know that they all keep telling us to just give it some time but I… I don't want this to drag more than it has to. I'm worried about her, Lyds…" And Lydia can hear the pain in his voice. "She's not eating, she's not talking…"

"Then _stay_," Lydia pleads quietly.

"I don't know," Stiles mutters under his breath. "I don't think I should."

"Nonsense," Lydia replies. Ariel loves you, Stiles. She's just hurt." The redhead takes hold of his hands and pulls him a little closer to her as she leans against the wall. "And I want you to help me figure this out."

"Lydia…"

"Stiles, this isn't your fault and I don't blame you for any of this. This was going to happen eventually, and if it's happening now… Well, we'll figure it out. _You and me_." She bites on her lower lip nervously and Stiles sighs. "Stiles, ever since we met…" Her voice quiets and Lydia smiles softly, her green eyes set on his amber ones. "I've seen you give away all you have, all of you just for a chance to make the ones you care about happy. You made me believe that it was okay to trust someone again. And I want to trust that Ariel needs you, and that I need you, and that maybe you should stay until this is resolved."

Stiles pecks her lips softly because this has been taking a toll on them too. Whereas just one week ago they were starting to explore more of each other and enjoying any free time they had without Ariel to make out openly, now they're constantly close to one another but nothing much happens anymore. It doesn't feel so right. And so now Stiles kisses Lydia so that she knows that he misses her too, that he wants this to be over in the best possible way even if he doesn't know how.

The comfort is shortly lived when he remembers that just a few doors down the hallway, one of the people in his life he cares about the most is hurting.

"I don't think she wants me to," Stiles says sincerely, sad as Lydia as ever seen him. "If Ariel doesn't want to see me, I don't want to force her to, so… Maybe I should go…" He mumbles again but he doesn't want to, not at all.

Lydia is just about to kiss Stiles in reassurance when they're both startled by a door creaking down the hall, and into view comes little Ariel. She's holding Missy, the girl's favorite stuffed monkey clutched to her chest as she sobs. Lydia holds her breath and can hear Stiles do the same.

There's a faint "Don't…" that they barely hear, and yet Ariel's raspy, tired voice resonates as if she'd shouted. "_Don__'t leave. Please, don't leave again, daddy_."

There's silence. Silence between Stiles and Lydia, who just stand in place, still holding hands and closer together than Ariel is used to see them but neither makes to move. Silence from Ariel after she'd said the words too, because she'd been listening in on their conversation ever since they stepped into the hallway and she doesn't want Stiles to leave, and now that she's said it Stiles isn't moving at all.

"I'm sorry, daddy," she cries, sprinting into his arms because she wants to do everything in her power to not let him go. Stiles can only fall to his knees to catch her, looking up at Lydia in bewilderment. The girl sobs against the crook of his neck, holding on as tight as she can. "Don't leave, daddy. Don't leave…"

None of them moves. Stiles has an expression on his face that Lydia can't quite decipher, thoughtful yet mixed with something else that she can't quite put her finger on. After a moment, he locks eyes with Lydia again, murmuring "Maybe it's time for that talk, after all."

Lydia nods, worrying her lower lip. "Ariel, honey?" Ariel doesn't look up nor does she let go of Stiles. If anything, she holds on to him tighter. "Can we talk to you?" She asks in a high-pitched voice, and Stiles knows that Lydia is on the brink of tears as well.

The little girl nods but doesn't look at either of them, not wanting to let go for anything. Stiles picks her up wordlessly, holding on to her just as fiercely, and heads to Ariel's bedroom with Lydia in tow. Putting her down, Ariel is reluctant to break the contact so Stiles holds her hand with one of his, grabbing hold of one of Lydia's with the other. All three sit on the bed, Ariel in between both adults and Lydia reaches for a blanket to cover Ariel with. If only because it's a cold night or out of nervousness, Lydia isn't sure.

"Honey, we… We know you must be confused with everything right now," Lydia starts, running her fingers down the girl's fiery hair. The girl just looks wide-eyed between them.

There's a moment of uneasy silence. Then "Ariel, I'm not… I'm not your dad." Stiles takes a deep breath, as if letting out the words pains him. "You know that, right?"

Ariel had said it instinctively. It had just come out. She'd realized that Stiles was leaving, and being so young she thought that it could mean forever, and in that moment all she wanted was for him to stay. Not knowing how to answer it, Ariel asks instead "Then who is?"

Lydia swallows dryly. Ariel had never asked because she'd only been in daycare for a few months before joining pre-school here in Beacon Hills, and other than that she'd always been with Lydia and Natalie only. Naturally, being around so many fatherly and familial figures now was bound to lead to this, sooner or later. "Your father…" _Just how much information do you share with a 4 year old?_ Lydia bites on her lower lip worriedly runs one of his hands up and down Lydia's back soothingly. Lydia smiles at him briefly and pulls her daughter closer to her, hugging her sideways. "Your father is not around, Ariel. He is… Far, far away and he's not coming back."

The girl looks up, very serious and still teary. "Why?"

"It's uh— It's hard to explain. You will only understand when you're older, sweetie. For now, you just need to know that we can't count on him, and when you're older I'll tell you more about it, alright? It's just you and me, kiddo."

Stiles gives the girl a moment to process it, watching her frown as she tries to make sense of what she's been told. "But you're not alone, alright?" He says, and Ariel focuses on him. "You will always have your mom, and your Nana, and all of us, Ariel. We're all here for you. Me, Eric, Uncle Scott and Aunt Allison, Grandpa and Grandma…" Ariel had made a habit of addressing everyone the same way the other kids did and mostly it was endearing, but now it had Stiles worried it could make the situation worse.

"But you're leaving…"

Ariel could as well have slapped him. It's an understatement to say he'll be glad if Stiles never has to hear that hurt tone in her voice ever again. He opens his arms to her. "Come here," he says, and Ariel leaves her mother's comforting embrace for Stiles', sitting sideways on one of his legs and resting her head on his chest. Lydia starts crying silently again, Stiles notices, but by now they're all emotional. He beckons her closer too and Lydia sits beside them.

"You know how Eric likes me a lot?" Stiles asks Ariel, who nods looking up at him with wide-eyes, attentive as he's ever seen her. "Okay, so if you ask Eric, he'll probably tell you that he never wants me to leave his house either. But I have my own house, munchkin, you know that." He speaks slowly and softly, making sure that she's keeping up with what he's saying. "I have my own things there, and my room, just like you do here. And you love your room too, don't you?" Ariel lets out another sob but nods in response regardless. "Well then, I love being in my house just as much as I love being with Eric and Claudia at their house, or just as much as I love being here, with you and your mom."

"Stiles stayed with us because of his accident," Lydia continues. "He was hurt, and he needed our help so he could get better. But now he's better, so it's time for him to go back home again."

"But I'm not leaving, not to never come back. It just means that I'll get to sleep in my own room again and be around my things. I even have to go back to work in a few days, just like you have to go to school. But I'll still come here all the time, you'll see. Haven't I been here this week, even in the days I went home too?" He tries to reason, and the little girl nods again. "Well, then there you go," Stiles tells her, kissing the top of her head. "And every time you'll need me, for anything, I'll come running. I'll never leave you," he promises, holding her tight. "Never, never."

He can feel her sigh, even relaxing a little in his hold but uncertainty still laces her voice. "But I won't see you as much," she mumbles, fidgeting.

Stiles shares a look with Lydia, a look that he hopes she understands. "I think it's time," he murmurs to her, and Lydia knows what he means. In all truth, she doesn't even know what they're waiting for anymore. "Actually, Ariel, you will." He continues, and the girl locks eyes with him, hopeful. "You know that I care about you very, very much," he tells her, still hugging her tightly, "and I care about your mother a whole lot too. Almost as much as I like you," he says cheekily, and Ariel can't help but to let out a little laugh that finally starts to relax both adults. "Well, the way I feel about your mom is very special and uh—"

Stiles scratches the back of his neck, blushing a little and struggling to find the right words. Lydia purses her lips to suppress a smile before stepping in. "Stiles and I are dating, Ariel," Lydia states bashfully.

The little redhead looks between Stiles and her mother warily, studying them. "Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" She asks, curious.

"Yes, like that."

Her pretty green eyes shine. "Do you kiss on the mouth like grown ups do?" Ariel questions in a conspiratorial whisper, half-amused and half-shocked, as if she wouldn't want to get caught asking such a think.

Stiles laughs wholeheartedly, grinning down at red tainting his cheeks. "Yes, we do. Sometimes."

"But Ariel… That doesn't mean that Stiles is your father. Do you understand?" Lydia asks. "It means that Stiles will be around a lot but…" Lydia comes up empty, not really knowing how to say what she wants to say.

"It means that to the others," Stiles tries to help, "to Claudia and Eric, and Charlotte and her siblings, even to little Noah, I'm uncle Stiles. But to you… To you I'm just Stiles, Ariel. I'm your Stiles. And even though I'm not your dad, Ariel… I love you so, so much. Both you and your mom," he admits effortlessly, stroking her cheek fondly. "And so I'd like to be around for the two of you for as long as you'll let me. And I might not be your father, but I promise you I'll do my best to treat you as if you were my little girl."

Lydia's voice breaks, watching her daughter's watery eyes. "You already do."

Stiles grins at his girlfriend and lets out a sob himself. "So what do you think, Ariel?" He asks, not so much because he and Lydia want her blessing (even though, in truth, they do) but because he's afraid that she might be even more confused now than before.

"You're mommy's boyfriend, but you're leaving…" She drags, trying to process.

"Only sometimes, kiddo. But I'll come right back. I'll still be here tomorrow to spend time with you, and the next day, and the next," Stiles tells her. "So long as you want me around."

Lydia tilts Ariel's chin so that the girl faces her. "But Stiles is better now, honey. He needs to go back to work and back home. And that's okay because I have to work too. And you have school, and playtime with your friends so it's okay if Stiles isn't here all the time anyway, because we won't be here all the time either."

Ariel takes a moment before nodding. "But when will you be here?" She asks Stiles, apprehensive.

"I have work and your mom does too," he tells her, thinking about the next week and the ones after that. "And you have school, like your mom said. And like you, I want to spend with Eric and Claudia, and with Uncle Scott and Grandpa just like you want to spend time with your Nana. So we can have the rest of the time if you want. I can be here then" he offers, and Ariel starts nodding immediately. "Tell you what." An idea pops into his head and Stiles glances at the little table in one of the corners of the room, close to a small bookcase where Lydia keeps Ariel's drawing materials. "Why don't we get a cardboard, and some pens and pencils, and we make some plans? It could be our own little project. Would you like that? That way you can always check it and see when I'll be here next."

"A project?" Ariel's eyes light up. Playing with Stiles is never just playing houses or coloring a book. Everything has a project with him: there are plans and stories to go along, always something to keep on doing it, like a promise of _more_. So Ariel nods profusely, latching onto his neck and hugging him. "Yes."

Stiles kisses her temple, beaming at the girl's enthusiasm. "Alright, we can do that. All three of us, okay?"

Lydia smiles gratefully and nods too.

"Can you stay sometimes?" Ariel questions, getting up on her feet excitedly as if she wants to start right away, the blanket falling falling from her shoulders.

Stiles is quick to put it back in place, tucking her in tightly in amusement and making her giggle, the smile he loves so much now etched on her face. "Yeah, I guess I can, _some_ times. And maybe sometimes you can come and stay with me too," he offers, and Ariel beams.

"Really?"

"Really, really," he tells her wholeheartedly. "We can even make a fort in the living room like I do with Eric, if you want."

Stiles promises himself right then to make sure that Ariel has a smile this bright on her face every single day. "Can mom come too?" She asks excitedly.

"Of course."

"Stiles says we can make a fort," Ariel singsongs, and Lydia can only grin at how excited her little girl seems to be now, feeling a little more settled.

"Tomorrow though, munchkin," Stiles reminds her and Ariel's smile starts to slip away. He tickles her, smiling brightly until it's contagious and Ariel's laugh echoes through the room. "I'm sleeping at my house tonight, remember?"

"Can't you stay?" She asks immediately, enthused about the prospect of Stiles being around more often. She doesn't want to have to _wait_.

Lydia wants him to desperately say yes but refrains from speaking her mind in front of her daughter. After all, the reasons why she wants him to spend the night, after everything that's just happened, aren't at all suitable for a child to hear.

Stiles lets her go and gets on his feet, picks up Missy from the floor near the bedroom door where Ariel had let it fall to the ground. With one of the stuffed monkey's arms, he pokes her nose teasingly. "I'll be here before you're up for breakfast, you won't even miss me."

Ariel stares at him intently for a moment, then raising her left hand in between them. "Pinky swear?" She asks innocently and yet in all seriousness, and Stiles is touched at the vouch of confidence.

Grinning brightly, he places Missy on the bed and gets down on one knee so that they're at eye-level. "I'll do you one better." Raising his hands, he stretches both his little fingers. "I'll _double_ pinky swear!"

Stiles and Lydia almost want to laugh at Ariel's reaction. As if he'd said the holiest thing, her eyes widen and she inhales deeply, slowly reaching to entwining her fingers with his and shaking on it. "Okay," she accepts, her eyes alight.

Stiles smiles warmly at Lydia, who's watching the interaction as if it's intimate, sacred, completely amazed. On a whim, she bends forward to kiss Stiles' cheek affectionately and they exchange a look that conveys more than words.

Had a "Ewww" not been heard, Stiles would have properly kissed his girlfriend the way he actually wants to. Instead, he and Lydia start laughing at Ariel's exclamation of disgust and surprise at the display of affection.

"Don't you _Ewww_ us," Stiles chastises playfully, "or I'll have to kiss your cheek too."

Ariel beams, eyes glinting with mischief and liveliness, sticking her tongue out at him and saying "Not if you can't catch me" before taking off, a little girl in a pink pajama with auburn tresses running behind her as she flees into the hallway.

Maybe this was what she'd needed all along, Lydia thinks as she can't do anything but watch as her daughter leaves and Stiles scrambles after her, both laughing like they hadn't in days. Someone who'd just be here for her, despite the emptiness that Lydia knows her daughter feels every time Stiles is out the door. Someone who makes it feels so natural to love.

Lydia would know. She feels the same way.

xxxxxxxxxx

She takes a minute to herself, to wrap her head around everything before getting up to follow them, and it's in times like this that Lydia wishes she had photographic memory to imprint some moments into her brain so that'd she would never, ever forget them.

Like when she finds Stiles in the middle of the living room holding a giggling uncontrollably Ariel up in the air, spinning until he's out of breath and can't do it anymore. Or when they finally settle and Lydia asks if Ariel's hungry, and the three of them spend a good half an hour in the kitchen preparing a couple of healthy snacks for the little girl and watching her eat, indulging her in answering questions that come as easy as they used to before this happened. Or when Ariel asks Stiles to read her a bedtime story after days of adamantly denying him of doing so (Stiles replies that no, he won't read her a story. That he'll read her two and Ariel is absolutely delighted, as if Christmas came early). Or when she checks on them after cleaning the kitchen again and changing into her nightwear, and finds Ariel tucked on her bed, curled into Stiles' side as he continues to whisper the story to her even though the little girl is fast asleep, finally worn out.

Lydia just stands and watches the scene, heart tight in her chest as she's overcome with emotion. She lets him finish the short story, allowing him to enjoy this because she knows that reading to Ariel is one of his favorite pastimes.

When he's done and Ariel is left sleeping soundly, Stiles and Lydia leave the door ajar and exit the room. He helps her tidying the living room and turning off the lights for the night because Stiles knows that she has to be exhausted just like he is, just like Ariel was, and so assumes she'll head to bed as soon as he leaves and that maybe more talking can be left for tomorrow.

Before he can even think of actually heading for the front door, however, Lydia takes one of his hands wordlessly and leads him to her bedroom. He thinks he sees a flirtatious look on her face, but he isn't sure until the door is closed behind him and Lydia raises on her tiptoes to kiss him passionately, the way she's wanted to do for so many days now.

He kisses her back just as chaotically, turning them around to pin her against the closest wall until they're out of breath, making out with an urgency that makes it seem that they maybe they don't need oxygen to breathe after all, trying to make up for lost time.

Lydia is panting when his mouth leaves hers. "_Fuck_," she mutters, licking her lips. "Do you have any idea just how good you are?" She says the words as if she can't believe them herself, as if he's a god sent to Earth and all she can do is stare in wonder. "Do you know how hot it _is_?!"

Stiles chuckles and leans down to kiss her again. "_You_ need to get some sleep," he murmurs jokingly, kissing her forehead affectionately.

Lydia cups his cheeks ad makes him face her, saying the words as sincerely as she feels. "Sometimes it's like you don't even know…"

Stiles can _feel_ just how heartfelt the words are, just how much Lydia means it, and when they kiss this time it isn't as desperate or as rushed.

And it isn't as inconsequential. "Lydia…"

The way he says her name the makes her shudder, reverberates through her chest as if he'd shouted instead of whispered, and brings to the surface questions that her own words had asked just before. But whereas Lydia was willing, Stiles is apprehensive as if he isn't sure if they should do it.

Lydia fiercely disagrees. "Stay."

Stiles looks into her eyes, trying to unveil all that the invitation suggests. "I was supposed to head home."

"Stay," she repeats, and there's a small smile tilting the corner of her lips up.

"We just told your daughter I'm not supposed to stay over all the time," he tries to reason, deciding that before actually agreeing with his girlfriend and deciding just on which terms this night is going to go, he should first rule out all the reasons why he shouldn't.

"So long as she sees you for breakfast, I don't think she'll complain," Lydia quips quickly, her smile growing and growing. "Stay."

"She's down the hall!"

"And we're here. Stay."

She's openly grinning now, and Stiles wants nothing but to kiss her smirk away. "You know, we had a plan for this, remember? No funny business until the doctor gave the all clear, which should only be next week. Remember that?" He asks teasingly, even though he wants to see it through just as much as she apparently does. "Remember that?"

Lydia clicks her tongue and bats her eyelashes at him, biting on her lower lip enticingly. "With all due respect to you plan-making skills, Stiles, _fuck the plan_."

He takes a step back in feigned shock, placing a hand over his heart for good measure. He's missed this, the flirtatious banter back and forth they'd had for the last few weeks whenever they were alone. "I can't believe this. Is this how your trying to seduce me?"

Lydia laughs through her nose, cheeks reddening despite herself. "Is it working?"

Stiles eyes her carefully, and to Lydia he looks a little out of breath, bewildered with the factuality of the proposition. She can practically see the gears working in his head. "No," he replies simply, and Lydia frowns. "I actually had a plan, you know? Besides the plan…"

Because the doctor would only give him the all clear next week and Lydia's birthday is on Sunday, that's why. Besides, he's a very proud plan maker no matter what Lydia says.

Regardless, deciding that maybe giving her a few more days to think it through so that she's sure that this is what she wants, that this is where she wants and is comfortable with having their relationship go, Stiles kisses her cheek and opens her bedroom door, making to leave. Looking over his shoulder, he whispers softly. "I'll just see you tomorrow, okay?"

Lydia almost lets him go. She almost lets him slip from her fingers that night, almost tells herself that maybe she's rushing into this. That maybe they aren't ready but she _aches_. Aches for him every time he leaves, and knows he aches for her just the same whenever she's the one who goes. Catching his hand before he can sneak out of the bedroom, Lydia stares deeply into his brown bright eyes. "Stay, Stiles. _Please_."

Her voice comes out strained and her face is suddenly serious, as if she's never meant anything more in her life. As if she isn't scared of what it means anymore.

Stiles moves and closes the door behind him.

xxxxxxxxxx

**Author's note:** Please leave a review and let me know what you think :)


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